Seattle Adventures
by lurker123
Summary: Edward runs his family's tour company, which offers one-day itineraries around the Puget Sound. Bella is a tour guide. What sites will these two explore? This is a sweet and light fic about an E/B romance that blooms fast and deep. M for a reason. AH.
1. Chapter 1

This applies to all future chapters: I don't own the characters. The story line is mine. Please don't read if you're not old enough to buy cigarettes where you live. The rating is for a reason, even if the build-up seems tame at first.

* * *

"Bella, come over tonight, please? It's rare we're all in town on a sunny Friday night. I want to enjoy a BBQ and drinks on the patio with you," my best friend Allie pleads. "Jasper flies out on Monday, and I'm on call for five days starting Sunday night. But this weekend is surprisingly free. Even _your_ schedule coincides - how often does that happen? Come on, it'll be fun."

I glance at the clock above my desk, contemplating my options for the night. Allie's right. It's rare that we all get a weekend night together. The book and bath I had planned can wait. "OK," I say after a pause. "What time and what can I bring?"

"Excellent! Just come over after work. You can invite your beautiful boss to join us. He and Jasper are friends, so you'll be doing him a favor. Go for it Bella. You know you want to."

Arrgh. I look around the office to see if said boss or anyone else is within earshot. "Allie, he's not officially my boss yet - he's kind of in an acting capacity. Anyway, I can't just walk up to him and say, 'Edward, come to a bar-b-que with me,'" I whisper.

"Really, Bella. Your shyness exhausts me. I'm trying to get you laid!"

As much as I appreciate her intentions, Allie's methods annoy me. "I'll see you later, Alice. By myself. I'll bring cheese and crackers."

"OK. Don't drool too much at work today."

* * *

**Long-Assed Author's Note:**

This is a sweet, low-angst story where eventually the UST gets resolved, sweetness mixes with kink, and these two explore a lot more together than just geographic sites around Puget Sound. It will make you happy and make you laugh, and hopefully make you cheer for a love that burns fast and deep. I'd characterize it as a good beach read, but sadly where I live in the Northern Hemisphere beach season is over.

Here is a sampling of what's to come:

_"I want you to undress, yes." Edward says, pulling the tails of my blouse __out of my slacks and unbuttoning and unzipping my pants as we awkwardly walk into my bedroom..._

_..."Hey sleepy head," Edward says as I open my eyes. I'm twisted in the sheets, hugging a pillow and facing Edward who lays on his side. Edward pushes a lock of hair behind my ear as he gently says, "You talked in your sleep last night."..._

_...I'm still a little buzzed, so it doesn't take long for my earlier horniness to return. I toe off my shoes and hop out of my jeans. I also pull off my sweater and camisole. It feels so decadent to be standing naked..._

_..."Bella, we're going to get out of the car, OK?" he asks as I pant hard. I nod my head and he slowly pulls out the vibrator, unbuckling my seat belt and then his own..._

If you choose to continue (or even if you don't), I'd love to hear what you think. Even the short notes letting me know you're out there reading this little fic are encouraging. If you feel like writing more, I'd love to know if you think the detail is too little, too much, too strange, too normal. Is the sweetness too saccharine or just right? Do you want to hear more, or does this not sound interesting? Really, anything you want to share is appreciated, so please review. And, thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

"Headed home, Bella?" Edward asks. We've had a busy day and I can hear the exhaustion in his voice. The Mount St. Helens tour I was meant to lead tomorrow had to be cancelled due a mechanical issue with our bus. We couldn't find an available rental and the repair shop won't have the part to fix our bus until Monday afternoon. Thankfully, we were able to reserve a rental for the Sunday tour that my coworker Jess is leading, as well as for my tour on Monday.

Edward and I had the unlucky task of telling 30 cruise ship passengers that their pre-cruise excursion to the volcano is cancelled. It's why I have a rare Saturday free, though, so despite the unpleasantness of listening to retirees rant about me ruining their trip of a lifetime, I'm secretly pleased.

"Actually, I'm headed to Allie's and Jasper's. What are you up to tonight, Edward?" I say as casually as I can.

I've had a secret crush on Edward since I started working here last year. His dad was running the company full-time then, and Edward had just returned from Chicago to begin taking over from his father. We've gotten to know each other over the past year, but I think he sees me as kid. Edward jokes about my wild 20-something lifestyle, despite my retorts that I rarely go to clubs and spend most nights home alone. At 30, he's only three years my senior, but even I concede that he has an air of maturity beyond his years.

"Oh, well tell Jasper I said 'hi.' No plans for me tonight. I'll probably pick up a Pegasus pizza and relax at home. It's been an exhausting day."

"You could tell him 'hello' yourself," I suggest. "We're just going to hang out and it's very casual. Why don't you come along?"

"You mean as your date?" Edward winks.

"Um, well..." I stutter. I would _love_ to take Edward as my date, but I know he's just teasing and I don't know how respond to his comment.

"I'm just kidding, Bella." After a pause he adds "You know, I haven't seen Jasper in a while, so I'd love to tag along if you're sure you and Allie won't mind that I'm crashing your evening. What should I bring?"

"Just bring yourself. If you don't need to go home first, we can walk over together from here. I need to pop by my place to pick up some cheese and crackers, but it's on the way."

The dress code at the office of our tour company, Seattle Adventures, is casual unless we're meeting clients or leading a tour. Since neither of those was true for me, I'm dressed in jeans and a summer blouse, and Edward is similarly casual in jeans and a button down. My apartment is a few blocks from our office at the top of the hill in West Seattle, and Allie and Jasper live a few blocks further down the road. Edward lives a couple of miles away, down at the beach in a sleek condo overlooking the Sound. I've never been there, but know the building. It has a beautiful view stretching from the Olympic Mountains rising over Bainbridge Island to the Cascades rising behind downtown Seattle.

"OK, sure, I wouldn't mind walking over there with you," Edwards says. "Should we call Allie and Jasper and let them know I'm coming along?"

"I'll just text her," I say as I grab my phone and shoot off a quick note to Allie. God, I hope she doesn't embarrass me tonight.

Allie's husband Jasper is a pilot for Alaska Airlines and coincidentally went to high school with Edward. They were friends who lost touch during college, when Edward left for Northwestern University and Jasper did Airforce ROTC while studying engineering at UCLA. Twelve years later they're both back in their home town, living close to where they grew up.

Nine months ago they reconnected accidentally through me. Allie, Jasper and I had plans for dinner at a new restaurant in downtown Seattle. Allie shopped in the city that day and it made sense for Jasper to pick me up from work on his way downtown. I was running late, so Jasper came into the office to wait. The next thing I knew, Jasper was "bro-ing" Edward, who was "bro-ing" Jasper right back. "Dude, this" and "Man, that." I swear, two individually intelligent-sounding men can lower their IQs 50 points when they get together.

Edward ushers me out the door, and I can't help but swoon when I feel his fingertips on the small of my back. If only he weren't just being a gentleman, though it's one of the qualities I love about him.


	3. Chapter 3

On the walk to my place, we chat easily about some of the crazy conversations we had with tour customers that day.

Edward causes me to giggle with his story about a woman from Arizona who pleaded to bring her chihuahua Mr. Universe on one of our tours. When he politely explained our no-pets rule, she changed her tactic by telling him she was near-sighted and the dog was her seeing-eye dog. Rather than challenge her dubious story, Edward told her that of course we allow assistance dogs and she just needed to submit the required forms so we could make accommodations on the tour. She then explained she would need three rows on the bus to prevent Mr. Universe from coming near enough to others to bite. "He's trained to do that," she said. "He's very protective of me; the people who trained him to be my seeing-eye dog wanted to make sure that I was safe at all times. He's a fierce creature."

I'm laughing at Edward's story when we arrive at my place, and suddenly I'm struck with a wave of insecurity outside the entrance to my apartment. It seems so intimate to invite him into my home. "Um, this won't take long. If you don't mind, have a seat in the living room while I prepare the cheese plate."

"OK if I sit here?" Edward asks rhetorically, pulling out one of my bar stools at the kitchen island.

"Sure, yeah, that's OK," I stutter. Wow, I'm really missing my opportunity to make him think I'm not a kid. Can I be more inarticulate?

I busy myself with my task to calm my nerves, all the while feeling Edward's eyes on me. Within minutes, I've arranged the cheese plate with sliced apples and grapes and covered it in plastic wrap. As I reach up to grab crackers out of the cupboard above the sink, my foot slips on water that must have dribbled onto the floor when I washed my hands. I steady myself, but manage to twist my ankle. "Ouch, ouch, ouchie, ouch," I shout and pant through my pain, forgetting briefly that I'm not alone.

"Bella, are you OK?" Edward asks, coming around the counter to get a better look.

Did I really just say 'ouchie'? What is it about Edward that makes me sound like a two-year old?

"I'll be fine. I'll just grab an ice pack from the freezer."

Before I can move an inch, Edward's reaching into my freezer and grabbing the ice pack, then ushering me to a stool and putting the pack on my ankle. "Lift your foot. There, that's better. Let me take your shoe and sock off. Hmm. It doesn't look too swollen; you may have just twisted it and strained the muscles a bit. I think it will be OK, if you're gentle with it. This ice will help." Edward says in a rush, taking action without asking or waiting for my reply.

"It's OK now, Edward," I say after a couple of minutes of silence. It feels amazing to have his hands on me, but the ice pack is starting to burn.

"Oh, sure, yeah, OK. l'll just put this back in the freezer."

I gingerly walk down to my bedroom, where I change into sneakers and grab a sweater. My ankle feels more stable in these shoes as I walk back to Edward in the kitchen.

"Bella, I'll feel better if I run back to the office for my car and come pick you up. I don't think you should walk too much on that," he says looking down at my foot.

I relent, only because I know how this conversation will end. "I'm OK, Edward, really. But if you want to have your car with you at Allie's and Jasper's, I understand. I can wait downstairs until you make it back."

He must be a fast runner, because it seems to take no time at all before Edward drives up in his Volvo convertible. Wow, he looks good behind the wheel. I start to open the passenger door and slide in, but Edward is at my side in an instant, taking my elbow as I lower myself onto the seat. "I would have gotten the door for you, Bella," he says quietly.

I'm not used to this chivalry, and am not quite sure if I'm expected to reply, so I just tell him thank you in a voice as quiet as his own.


	4. Chapter 4

Edward insists on helping me walk up to Allie's and Jasper's house from the driveway of their stylish mid-century home. He's tucked me into his side with an arm around my waist. It's a little ridiculous for such a minor injury, but I'm not complaining about this chance to be close to him.

Allie swings the door open as we approach. I see her glance down at Edward's arm and her mouth drop open, so I quickly jump in before she embarrasses me. "I twisted my ankle. Edward's concerned about me putting too much weight on it."

Allie smiles and nods at us, ushering us inside while giving me a look that says 'I want details later.'

"Jasper's got the grill going out on the patio. Head on back. I was just grabbing a glass of wine. Can I get you anything - beer, wine, water?," Allie asks.

"I'd love a beer," Edward says. "Thanks Alice."

"I'll have what you're having, Allie," I say as I walk with Edward to the backyard patio.

Edward sits me down on the double chaise. I scoot back and stretch out both legs as Jasper and Edward do the guy greeting of a handshake and half hug. Allie returns and hands us our drinks. With beer in hand, Edward sits on the end of the chaise near my feet.

"How's your ankle feeling, Bella?," he asks and gently rubs my ankle over my jeans. It's thrilling to have his hand on me, even if for him it's more clinical than intimate.

"It's fine, Edward. Honestly, I think it'll just be a bit tender for a day and then I'll be good as new. The pain has lessened to just a very dull throb."

"Does this feel OK?," Edward asks in a concerned voice as he continues rubbing my ankle.

"It feels wonderful," I blurt out in a whispered breath before realizing how that might sound. "I mean, um, the light massage helps distract from the small ache that's still there. Thank you."

Allie pulls over a coffee table and two chairs to create a conversation pit around the double chaise. She sets the cheese plate on the table while Jasper continues to work his magic at the grill. It smells fantastic. All the while, Edward continues to rub my ankle. I have a hard time concentrating on the conversation, instead crushing on Edward and imagining us as a couple. Could he come to see me that way? I've always been shy around men, but Edward makes me want to put myself out there. I decide I'm going to test the waters tonight, and I'm confident Allie will be my wingman. "Allie, are you and Jasper going to squeeze in that romantic trip to the Hood Canal after this next leg of shifts?"

"I'm hoping to, Bella. I'm only on call this week but I'm pretty sure I'll be called in to take several shifts. Then starting next Sunday I'm scheduled for four days on confirmed trips to and from Mexico. After that, I want a break from flying. Taking a ferry across the Sound is as adventurous as I want to get for a vacation. Edward, have you ever been to the Alderbrook Resort? It's at a beautiful spot on the Hood Canal. They have an awesome spa and Jasper likes the golf course."

"My parents have a house near Belfair, so I'm familiar with the area but haven't been to Alderbrook. That sounds like a nice trip."

"How about you, Edward? What's your idea of a romantic vacation?," I ask boldly. I can't believe I'm doing this.

Edward grabs my ankle, then starts rubbing it gently again. "I don't know. I guess anywhere is fine as long as I'm with the right person," he says as the corner of his mouth rises into a smile and he meets my eyes. "But I do like wide-open views - some place where you can see either a great sunrise or sunset. Oh, and good room service. I know it's strange, but I rate the places I've stayed based on how good the room service food is. I guess I've spent a lot of time by myself in hotels and I'm not a huge fan of dining alone in a restaurant."

Jasper declares the steaks finished, then plates up four servings of mouth-watering grilled vegetables, steak, and salad. We decide to stay seated where we're at. Edward scoots back so that we're both sitting against the back of the chaise, holding our plates on our laps. Jasper refills my wine, grabs another beer for himself and Edward, and joins Allie around the coffee table.

Given all our professions, it's not surprising that the conversation continues to center around travel. Edward's shoulder rubs against mine as we chat, but he doesn't seem uncomfortable with our proximity. I finish off my second glass of wine and Edward leans across me to refill the glass where it's sitting on the side table next to the chaise. When he returns the bottle to the coffee table, he scoots down so he's sitting at the end of the chaise again, slightly turned so one knee is bent and resting against my leg while the other is on the ground. Edward resumes gently massaging my ankle over my jeans, but this time also let's his fingers drift to my bare leg, rubbing back and forth above my anklet and the hem of my pants.

The whole experience is incredibly erotic. Surely he's not just doing this out of concern for my lightly sprained ankle. I want time alone with him to see what he'll say and do without Jasper and Allie present, but at the same time I'm afraid that any change will ruin this magical moment.

My musings are cut short and the decision made for me when Allie announces that she and Jasper will clean up, and that we should stay seated. She repositions a single chaise at an angle to the one we're sitting on and lights the logs in the outdoor fireplace directly across from us. "I'll grab some blankets for all of us on my way back outside; it's getting chilly," she says.

* * *

**A/N** - Please let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

Once Allie and Jasper are inside, Edward looks at me and smiles. His hand is still rubbing the skin around my ankle. "Is this OK, Bella?"

I'm not 100% sure if he's asking about my ankle or the fact that he's caressing it, but both are fine so I tell him the truth. "It's more than OK." Edward's hand slips a little further up my leg under my jeans, now rubbing my calf as well as my ankle.

Allie returns and Edward moves his hand back to the outside of my jeans. I think both our cheeks are pink. "Here's a big blanket to keep you both warm. I could only find a large one so you'll have to share." I so owe her.

Jasper walks out carrying chocolate kisses in a glass bowl. He sits down on the empty chaise and pulls down Allie between his legs. They wrap another blanket around them, and hand the bowl of chocolates to Edward. "Sorry guys, this is the best we can do for dessert because I forgot to swing by the bakery on the way home."

"I love kisses," Edward says. "Bella, would you like a kiss?"

I nod, and while I know he's referring to the chocolate treasures inside the bowl, I can't help but look at his lips when he asks.

Edward spreads the blanket over both of us, and then unwraps a kiss for me. He holds it up to my lips, and when I open my mouth to receive the treat I swear I hear Edward mutter "Lucky chocolate."

We're all quiet after that, just staring at the fire and the stars that are beginning to appear. "I see a satellite," I say when I spot a light moving across the sky.

"Where?" Edward asks.

"Right there, just passing through the Big Dipper," I explain while pointing up to the sky. Edward leans into me, trying to adjust his sight line to be similar to my own.

"Oh! Got it. Good eye, Bella," Edward says as he rubs my upper arm in praise. We lean back against the chaise again, our shoulders resting against each other. "Are you comfortable," he asks quietly near my ear?

"Mmhmm," I mummer with a bit of a shiver, which I don't think is from the cold. Edward notices, though, and wraps the blanket around my upper body with one hand while scooting over and wrapping his other arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side.

Allie and Jasper start telling us about how they want to get a dog, but can't justify doing so until one of them isn't traveling as much. That leads to Edward retelling the story of Mr. Universe, which has our hosts laughing as much as I did earlier.

It's getting late, but I'm so comfortable that I don't want to get up. I yawn, though, and then Allie yawns and then Jasper. Edward laughs, and says that's his cue to make sure we all get to bed. He thanks Allie and Jasper for a wonderful night, then helps me to my feet by grabbing both my hands. "Come on, sleepy head, it's time I drive you home," he chuckles. After hugs and goodbyes to Allie and Jasper, Edward's hand is at my lower back again, ushering me out the door and towards his car. He holds the door open and grabs my hand as he helps me into the car, squeezing my fingers a bit before closing the door.

Once in the car, Edward turns to me and says, "Bella, thanks for offering me to come along tonight. It was a great evening, and I especially enjoyed spending time with you. Would you, um... would you want to do it again, maybe just the two of us?"

I smile widely, and with butterflies in my stomach look directly into his eyes. "I would love that, Edward. When would you like to get together again?"

Edward sighs, almost like he was nervous I'd say no, and a grin lights up his face. "Well, I'm free tomorrow."

I grin back as he starts the car. "So am I," I say.


	6. Chapter 6

We arrive at my place in less than two minutes and miraculously find a parking spot out front of the building. "Let me walk you up," Edward says while getting out of the car.

At my front door, Edward grabs my hand and squeezes it. I smile up at him, and ask if he'd like to come inside. "I'd love to, but it's late. How about breakfast tomorrow? Actually, if you're up for a drive, maybe you'd like to accompany me on an errand that we could turn into an adventure. I need to head north to drop off something with my brother Emmett in Mukilteo. We could take the ferry to Whidbey for a day trip. It would be later than breakfast time before we get there, but we could grab something from Starbucks on the way, then have lunch in Langley."

"Wow, that sounds great! I've been needing to get some repairs done on my truck, so in the meantime I've been staying close to home. Getting out of Seattle for a non-work trip would be wonderful. What time should I be ready?"

Edward glances at his watch, which must read close to 1:00 AM now. "Do you want to sleep in a bit? I could pick you up at 9:00, but if that's too early let me know."

It's perfect. I rarely sleep past 8:00 even when I stay up late, so trust me, you won't be depriving me of sleep."

There's a slightly awkward moment as the conversation comes to a pause. I've opened my front door and am standing half in and half out. Edward still has hold of my hand. He tugs on it a bit and then wraps me in a hug. "Thank you, Bella. This has truly been a great night." He finishes with a kiss to my temple, and I'm not quite sure what to make of that - it could be taken as just friendly affection although I'm fairly confident now that he's interested in more.

Remembering my earlier resolve to be bolder tonight, I look up and meet his eyes and then reach up to kiss his cheek just to the right of his lips. "Thank you, Edward, for everything. You took such good care of me, and I really enjoyed your company. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Edward smiles back and I see his eyes dart between my lips and my eyes. He leans down and places a kiss just to the edge of my mouth, mimicking my action. Determined, I peck the other side of his face, just to the left of his lips. Still staring into one another's eyes, suddenly the flood gates open. Edward tightens his embrace and brings his mouth down for a searing kiss. Our mouths open, and Edward's tongue mingles with my own. Oh my god, this is incredible. My stomach is flip-floping, and I feel so full of joy and something else too...passion. I wrap my arms around his neck, weaving my hands into his hair. He does the same with one of his hands, holding my head in place and angling it slightly for better leverage. We pull away to breathe, and Edward places his mouth near my ear.

"I should go, Bella. I really don't want to, but I can't seem to control myself with you. Can I get another one of these kisses when I see you tomorrow?"

I nod, because it's all I'm capable of right now.

"Good, I can't wait. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," Edward smirks before pecking me on the lips once more and releasing me.

"Good night," I finally manage to get out. "See you tomorrow."

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**A/N** - More?


	7. Chapter 7

I'm wide awake from the adrenalin of being with Edward. We've stopped at a Starbuck's drive-through window for pastries and coffee and are headed north along I-5. As we cross the bridge over Lake Union, Edward grabs my left hand and says, "I'm so glad we're doing this today, Bella. It's a blessing in disguise that your tour had to be cancelled." He pauses a moment and then adds, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Ask me anything."

"Why are you single? ...Wait, that came out wrong. What I mean is that you're amazing. You're kind, sweet, smart, funny, beautiful. I can't figure out how I'm the lucky guy who gets to try to woo you."

I reel at his calling me beautiful. I've always considered myself average looking. "Wow, that's incredibly flattering, Edward, and I love that last thing you said." I say with a big smile and then pause as I think about how to answer. "I guess I'm pretty shy when it comes to dating. I've never been good at signaling my interest in someone, or reading the signs in someone else. Maybe that seems odd given what I do for a living, since you can't be a wall flower when you're leading a bus full of people for Seattle Adventures. I do like talking with people, but at work I also know it's a temporary relationship that only lasts the duration of the tour."

I also think, but don't feel comfortable voicing, that part of the reason I'm single is because I've never met anyone who makes me feel like Edward does. Almost from the moment I met him I felt a connection to Edward and wanted to get to know him better. At first I thought it was a silly crush on a beautiful man, but it's more than that. I don't really even notice his incredibly handsome looks anymore, except that it's hard not to see how women swoon around him. But I think even that is about more than his looks. His manners, for instance. He's always opening doors, and saying thank you and please, and he's always considerate of others. For example, if he goes out for coffee he asks if anyone else in the office wants something, whereas most people fend only for themselves. And Edward really listens when anyone talks with him. He pays attention and asks questions that show he cares about what is being said.

"Anyway, Edward, I could ask you the same thing. In fact, I will. Why are _you_ still single? You're quite a catch, you know. If you haven't noticed, women throw themselves at you all the time."

"Hah. Well, I guess I've noticed that some women show an interest in me. But they aren't typically women I want to get to know better. Bella, I'd really like to get to know you - everything about you," he says while squeezing the hand he is still holding.

We smile at each other and are silent for a while before the silence bothers me. "What would you like to know, ask me anything," I say boldly.

"OK, and you can do the same with me."

That starts off a round of silly questions. Favorite color, favorite sport, last book read, best food ever eaten, craziest relative. The conversation is easy and frequently has us both laughing.

As we turn off the freeway and head in the direction of the Mukilteo ferry, Edward makes a turn down a side street and announces that the stop at Emmett's won't take long. "I just need to drop off something from my parents. I promised my mom I would get it to Emmett this weekend."


	8. Chapter 8

We arrive at a beautiful home that sits on a bluff overlooking the ferry lane and the islands and mountains behind it. These Cullen boys sure are blessed with views. "Wow, this is beautiful," I say, noticing both the house and the landscaping.

"Wait until you see the back," Edward says as he rings the doorbell. "Emmett's a landscape architect. He and his wife Rose had this house built a couple of years ago, and the backyard is as impressive as the view."

Emmett opens the door and looks curiously at me before smiling and giving Edward a hug. "Hi. Bella, right? We met at the holiday party my folks threw last year," he says as he extends his hand for a shake. "Come on in. I've got coffee in the kitchen if you want some."

"We grabbed something on the way up. Bella and I are headed to Whidbey for the day. Hey, can I show Bella the patio?"

"Sure, come on back." Emmett ushers us through house and my eyes pop at the incredible view. The back of the house has huge picture windows and doors that open onto a broad patio spanning the width of the house. Beyond that is a yard that could be featured in any major gardening or home and lifestyle magazine. Mature rhododendrons, Japanese maples, and a host of other trees and plants I can't name line the edge of an expansive yard that slopes gradually down to the edge of a bluff. A large water feature is off to the right of the patio, effectively blocking the view to a neighboring house. A tall hedge runs the length of the other side of the yard, enclosing the backyard in privacy. Emmett and Rose have a hot tub in one corner, and comfortable seating on the patio for lounging and eating.

"Wow, your home is beautiful Emmett. I love the privacy of your backyard."

"Thanks Bella. It's been a labor of love," Emmett says.

"Is Rose home?" I ask.

"Um, no," Emmett answers uncomfortably. "Hey, have a seat for a bit. Let me just grab my coffee from inside and we can visit for a while."

"Did I say something wrong?" I whisper to Edward when Emmett steps back inside.

"No. It's fine, Bella. I'll tell you about it later. I probably should have said something earlier."

* * *

**A/N** - Hmm, what do you think?


	9. Chapter 9

Edward and I sit at a booth on the passenger level as the ferry disembarks from Mukilteo, having locked the car two levels below and climbed upstairs for the better views.

Edward looks off towards the downtown Everett skyline with the Cascade Mountains rising behind it as he says, "Emmett and Rose are separated. It's recent, and Em's pretty shaken up about it. Rose moved out, back into her condo that they had been renting after they got married. They were in between tenants, and Em said he came home from work one day and she was just gone. There was a note on the dresser that she couldn't take it anymore, that she needed space to figure out what she wanted. They've been talking, but only on the phone. She doesn't want to see him right now."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure it's difficult for them both. Do you think they'll be able to work it out, whatever it is?"

"I hope so. Em said Rose has always felt like an outsider in our family. She thinks our parents believe she stole Emmett away from them because he moved north for her and they don't see us more than once a month. I was living in Chicago when they met, so I don't know what my parents were like during that period. But I have a hard time imagining them being anything but supportive. I've always felt like they've just wanted us to be happy.

"And it's not like Mukilteo is the other side of the country. It's just an hour's drive from my parents' house. When I was in Chicago, my mom would make comments about wishing I were closer to home. But it was in a wistful way, not like she was judging me for my choice to live and work there. Maybe she said those things to Em, too, and Rose took it to mean that she was unhappy with their relationship. I don't know. I think there's more to the story."

Edward grabs my hand that's resting on the table. He pulls it straight and starts playing with my fingers. "Anyway, I dropped off a ring for Em. It's a family heirloom - my great grandmother's ring. My mom wants Emmett to give it to Rose because she thinks it might help Rose feel more welcomed in the family. I think my mom feels guilty about the situation, like she didn't do enough to support their relationship. That makes Em feel guilty for sharing that Rose has felt like an outsider. He was distraught, and it all came out one night over dinner soon after Rose left. Em hasn't said much since then. I think he's keeping quiet about it because of what's happened. I also think he's trying to be respectful of Rose. He wants to make it work, and whatever is going on is between them - not the rest of us."

"I've met Rose a couple of times," I say while turning my hand over and exploring Edward's fingers. "The first time was at the company holiday party more than two years ago, before Emmett and Rose got married. I wasn't working in the office yet - just doing tours occasionally when Carlisle needed a fill-in guide. Rose was nice and I could tell she worshipped the ground Emmett walked on. Families were invited, and since I was a bit of an outsider, I had volunteered to keep the kids entertained. Rose spent most of her time that night helping me with children's games and crafts. She was great with the kids."

The ferry has made it's way across the water to Clinton and the captain announces that passengers must return to their vehicles. Edward slides out of the booth and grabs my hand. He sighs happily and smiles, and I notice a shift in the atmosphere between us. I smile back with butterflies in my stomach as our eyes meet. Edward slips his arm around my waist, his hand sliding securely to my hip as he pulls me into his side and squeezes tight. I squeeze back with my arm around his waist before we release each other so we can make our way down the narrow steps to the car deck.

Once at the car, Edward pulls me back to him. "Come here a second." He gently leans me against his door as his hand cups my face. The gesture makes me feel so cherished. Edward's eyes are alight with adoration as he leans down and places a gentle kiss on my lips. "I've been wanting to do that again since we parted last night," he whispers before leaning down and kissing me again, more firmly this time. He pecks my upper lip, then my lower lip and gently sucks it into his mouth. My tongue reaches out to caress his upper lip that's molded between my own.

Just then a horn startles us, making my cheeks color with embarrassment as I realize how publicly we've displayed our affection. The cars in front of us have started to make their way off the ferry. Edward and I hop into the car with grins on our faces and he quickly catches us up in the line of vehicles making their way onto the Island.


	10. Chapter 10

Langley is a lovely island town nestled against the coast. The small main street is lined with boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. We've meandered through the shops and have spent at least 45 minutes discussing our reading preferences as we browsed the shelves in the town's only book store. "Ready for lunch?" Edward asks.

"I'm starving. Do you have anything in mind?"

We end up at a bistro with a second-story deck overlooking the water. It's crowded, but we've lucked out with a view table in the corner of the deck.

"Bella, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. That's the second time today you've asked that," I laugh. "I want you to feel like you can always ask me anything. If ever I don't want to answer a question, I promise I'll tell you," I say with a smile, "...and I hope you'll do the same with me."

"Well, I was wondering how you feel about this," he says while clasping my hand. "About us, I mean, and who knows about it."

"Is there an us? I mean, I'd like there to be, but I'm not sure how you feel or how you'd describe this." I say bravely, deciding there is no use being coy.

"I knew what I was doing when I kissed you last night," Edward answers as he stares into my eyes. "We work together, and I don't take that lightly. I've liked you for a while, Bella. I know there's a risk it could get awkward at work if a relationship between us doesn't work out, but the truth is I think we _will_ work out. I don't want a fling, Bella. That's not who I am. I haven't dated many women in my life, and I don't intend to start playing the field now_. _But Bella, if that's not what you want, if you're not looking for something serious, we can still be friends. I promise I won't let work become uncomfortable."

My grin fills my face. "I want what you want," I say simply.

Our food arrives, bringing our conversation to a momentary halt. After the waitress leaves, I start again. "Edward, you asked who should know about us. I'm pretty sure Allie will give me the third degree when I next see her and I don't want to keep this from her. I suspect Em knows, too," to which Edward nods his head.

"He knows I've had a crush on you since I came back from Chicago," Edwards says with a smirk. His admission makes me incredibly happy, knowing I wasn't the only one with a crush before last night. "I don't like keeping important things from family and friends. You make me really happy, Bella, which makes me want to share that with everyone. But I also know work is different. What do you want people there to know?" he asks.

I think about Jess and Lauren, two other guides who have made lewd comments about how hot Edward is. "You have a bit of fan girl club at work, Edward." He looks puzzled by my comment. "Let's just say that I'm not the only one who has been crushing on you. I try to stay out of it, but there's plenty of water cooler conversation about your ass."

Edward laughs. "I don't want to know. Anyway, you're the only one I want, Bella. I don't have water cooler conversations about it, but I've definitely noticed your ass," Edward smirks.

I gasp in mock horror, then turn serious. "Maybe we can play it by ear at work for now," I say. "I don't mind people knowing that we're friends. I think a few already know we have a mutual connection with Allie and Jasper. So maybe for now we can just focus on that aspect of our relationship while we're at work."

"OK, but I can't promise I won't stare at your ass and think inappropriate thoughts while we're there," Edward teases.

"I like knowing you're thinking about my ass," I tease back.

* * *

**A/N ** - Would love to hear your review.


	11. Chapter 11

After a searing kiss goodbye at my door, I sleep deeply Saturday night and spend a well-rested Sunday doing chores. Allie stops by while I'm putting together a simple dinner salad, and I catch her up on my budding romance with Edward. She's incredibly happy for us, but as usual she gets ahead of herself. Allie is just starting to describe the beautiful babies we'd have when I'm saved by the bell. Or rather, by her cell phone from the airlines informing her that she needs to cover for a sick flight attendant on the red-eye to New York.

Edward texts me late Sunday wishing me a good night and sweet dreams. He's perfect. I text a similar message back to him before turning in for the night.

Monday morning dawns early, but not quite so brightly. In fact, it's unusually overcast for a summer day. I stop by the office to collect the passenger list for our bus tour to Snoqualmie and Woodinville. First up is a visit to Snoqualmie Falls, followed by lunch at the Salish Lodge. We drive back roads to get to Woodinville so passengers can get a flavor of rural Washington.

Two tasting rooms are on the itinerary, with a snack in the middle to keep bellies full and drunkenness to a minimum. There's not usually enough wine to get anyone hammered, but I've occasionally had some lightweights on this trip who go a bit wild. A little tipsiness usually results in jovial passengers and better tips for me and my driver, whereas outright drunkenness from anyone can ruin the trip for everyone, especially me.

At Chateau Ste. Michelle, where we've taken a tour of the gardens and are now enjoying our snack at bistro tables, I get a text from Edward.

**Hope the tour is going well. Can I see you tonight? I'm missing your lips, and your smile, and your conversation, and your lips. Oh, and your ass.**

My face lights up and Aro, an elderly man from New Jersey, notices. "You must have gotten some good news."

"Oh," I blush. "It's from the man I've just started seeing. He's very sweet."

I text Edward back.

**You're making me blush and tour guests are noticing. No drunkards on this trip, thankfully, so it's going great. We're having our snack break. I would LOVE to see you tonight.**

My phone rings, and I answer it while walking a few feet away from the group who are busy entertaining themselves for a moment.

"Hi," I say with a smile evident in my voice.

"I wish I could see that blush," Edward says into the phone. "Can you talk now?"

"Yes, for a moment. What would you like to do tonight?"

"Would you want to come to my place for dinner? I'll cook for you. Are you coming back to the office after the tour? I could wait for you and we could leave from here."

"That sounds perfect, Edward. Yes, I plan to drop off my trip report after the tour. It shouldn't take long to complete. We're done here about 4:00 pm, so I should be back to the office by 5:30."

"Excellent! I'll wait for you here."

"Would you mind swinging by my place first before we head to yours? I want to change out of my tour clothes. I also baked an apple strudel yesterday. We could have that for dessert if you'd like."

"Yum. Of course we can drop by your place. I should let you go. Enjoy the rest of the tour."

"Goodbye, Edward."

"Bye, sweetheart."

I reel at the term of endearment, and am giddy when I rejoin the group.

Aro looks up at me as I approach the tables. "Someone is in a good mood. Care to share Miss Bella?"

I smile mischievously and tell the group we need to head inside to the library for our Vinter's Choice Tasting. The winery seats us as a large table inside a beautiful room. The tour guests taste three whites and three reds, ending with a particularly bold red in a beautiful bottle. In my experience, it's the label art that sells wine on these trips. The wineries offer to ship the bottles to their destinations. Since wine bottles can't go as carry-on luggage on airline flights, most passengers opt for the shipping, which thankfully means we rarely need to juggle bottles on the bus ride back to Seattle.


	12. Chapter 12

The tour wraps without incident, and once we drop our last group of passengers off at their hotel, I settle into the bus to complete my trip report. This tour has afforded me a few moments to work on paperwork throughout the day, so I've finished the little that remains by the time we're pulling the bus into the parking lot of Seattle Adventures. I bid goodnight to my driver, who heads to his motorcycle.

Jess is still writing up her trip report for her tour to Mount Rainier when I step into the office. "Hi Jess. Good tour?"

"Oh man, Bella. I had a doozy. One of the passengers got motion sick and vomited all over the couple in front of him. I had three families on the trip, each with two children, and four of the kids got into a screaming and kicking match with one another. For the most part their parents took care of it, but then one of the reprimanded kids went missing at Paradise. We searched a good 45 minutes before someone had the sense to check the bus. He had wedged open the door and was sulking in the back row. Of course, that screwed the schedule completely. I took consolation in knowing the little brat probably gagged on the odors inside that vomit-ridden bus parked in full sun."

"I'm sorry, Jess. Sounds like a rough day," I say through a chuckle. I knew too well what the smell of vomit inside a bus was like. No amount of Lysol can rid that smell completely during a tour.

I head back to Edward's office and knock on the door that's ajar before pushing it open fully. "Hi Edward. I'm back. You still up for dinner," I say quietly so Jess can't hear.

"Of course," Edward beams at me. "Come here for a sec, I'd like to show you something."

I walk around to the other side of the desk and look at the computer screen that I presume has what Edward wants me to see. Instead, he grabs my hips as he stands and places a kiss on my lips. "I've missed you," Edward whispers. I kiss him back with a grin, then step aside as we hear Jess walking towards the office.

"That's great, Edward," I say loudly while pointing in the direction of his monitor. I'm such a horrible actor, and I hear Edward chuckle behind me, but Jess doesn't seem to notice anything awkward.

"I'm done for the night," she says as she pops her head into the office and catches us both behind Edward's desk.

"I'll be leaving, too," I say looking at Edward and then Jess.

"Oh, I'll walk out with you," says Jess.

I have a momentary panic, before Edward chimes in casually. "Bella, can you stay for a moment? We received a request from Boeing to add a tour for a group of corporate visitors next week. I think you're the only guide whose schedule is free that day. Can we review the schedule before you go?"

"OK, see you guys later," Jess says while turning to head out the door. "Don't work too late."

Once I hear the door to the parking lot click shut, I gently slap Edward on the chest. "You can't laugh when I'm trying to divert attention away from the fact that I'm standing close to you behind your desk. This is Jessica we're talking about. She's the office gossip!"

"Sorry, Bella" Edward laughs. "Just don't quit your day job to take up an acting career."

I pout but am not truly mad. Edward's rubbing soft circles with his thumb on my waist, so it's hard to be anything but turned on at the moment. We're still behind his desk, which he leans against as he positions me between his legs.

"It's going to be difficult keeping my feelings for you from showing while we're at work," he says. Edward pulls me by the waist to lean against him and at this angle we're face to face. He cups my cheek with one hand while gripping my waist a bit tighter with his other. My hands go up to his shoulders, then smooth up his neck until I'm cradling his face in both hands.

"Let's try for now," I say. "I don't think Jess suspected anything despite my horrible acting. It's just that I want to keep this between us for a little while. If we tell people at work, our relationship will become fodder for all sorts of gossip. Just the idea of it makes me uncomfortable."

Edward leans forward to kiss my cheek, and when I close my eyes he kisses each of those as well, and then my lips - just little pecks, but they feel wonderful. He skims his nose along my neck and places a kiss just below my ear before whispering that we should go. Edward playfully grabs my earlobe and bites it, something I wasn't expecting. It causes me to jump and laugh.

"That was supposed to be sexy," Edward laughs.

"Believe me, in another setting I'd totally get into that. I'm ticklish, and wasn't expecting to be chewed on," I smirk.

"Hey," Edward says, "I'll show you some chewing. Let me eat you, Bella," Edward says in a Dracula voice. I can tell he means it in a completely non-sexual way, but we look at each other and it registers what he said. "Oh my god," I can't believe I just said that," Edward groans while palming his face. "You must think I'm a total perv."

"Come on, lover boy. Let's head to my place so I can slip out of these clothes and give you your dessert," I tease, laughing through my intentional double entendre.

* * *

**A/N** - Please let me know if you're out there reading this.


	13. Chapter 13

I've slipped into a pair of comfortable jeans and a casual short-sleeved cotton shirt. Edward suggested we could walk along the beach after dinner, so I've put on some comfortable sandals. The sun has poked out through a partly cloudy sky, but it stayed cool today after our grey skies this morning.

"I've admired this building from the beach but have never been inside," I tell Edward as we drive into the condo's underground garage.

"Really? Well, I'm excited to show it to you. My mom's behind the interior decoration - you'll see. It's far from a bachelor pad though I can't take credit for that."

"Esme has good taste," I agree. "I've been to your parent's house before. It's beautiful inside and out, but my strongest impression was that it's comfortable. It's a home, not just a showpiece. I love that."

Edward beams at me, and grabs my hand as we take the elevator up to the fifth floor. "Each floor is a single unit. I lucked out with the top floor because it also has half the rooftop as a private deck accessible from inside my condo. The other half of the rooftop is for the use of all owners. The builder did a good job creating separation between the private and public areas up there. Here, I'll show you," Edward finishes as he pushes six on the elevator and we stay on as it rides up an extra floor.

The view from the roof is incredible. The public area stretches front to back across the building and has two open sides with a tall glass railing. There's a horizontal slat teak wall lining both the back of the building and the north side of the patio. Six teak loungers, two tables with deep-set chairs, and two large stainless steel BBQs fill the space. "This is beautiful. I love that you can see mountains, water, and islands in the view."

Edward points to the teak wall and says, "The other side of that wall is the space only accessible from my unit. It's a little smaller than this area because there's a mechanical room in the back corner. Come on, let's head down and I'll show you my place."

Esme's touch is evident in Edward's condo. The furniture is stylish but comfortable. A deep-seating leather sectional fills the living room, positioned across from the fireplace with a large flat-screen television mounted on the wall above. There are floor-to-ceiling windows that jut out and make an alcove, where Edward has a shiny baby grand piano. To the right of the piano is a tiger wood table that seats six. A large lanai is accessible from a set of sliding doors near the table. The room has an open concept, with an island separating a spacious kitchen from the living and dining areas. Four tiger wood bar stools provide additional seating at the island, and visually tie the decor to the dining room table and a tiger wood coffee table in the living room. In the corner near the kitchen is a spiral staircase that leads up to what I assume is the rooftop patio.

"Wow, just... wow," I say, at a loss for words. I walk to the alcove and stand at the windows between the piano and the table admiring the view. When I turn around, I admire the interior view as well, and then settle my eyes on Edward and admire that view. He's standing against the sectional sofa, looking a little nervous.

"I've imagined you in here," Edward confesses. "I was hoping you'd like it. Do you want to see the rest?"

"I'd love to. What else is there to see?" I ask.


	14. Chapter 14

Edward gestures me to him and grabs my hand when I'm close. "Down this hallway are the bedrooms," he says leading the way.

We walk to the far end of the hallway and Edward turns on the light in a tastefully decorated room with a queen bed. It's sparse and doesn't look lived in. "This is my guest room, but I haven't had any guests yet."

Across the hall is another room, which turns out to be the hall bath that's also very tastefully decorated but doesn't look like it gets much use.

"Do you entertain much, Edward?" I ask though I already suspect the answer is no.

"Truth?"

I nod my head to encourage him to continue.

"Um, well, other than Em and my parents, you're the only person I've had over. I've thought about inviting Jasper and Allie, but haven't gotten around to asking yet. Maybe we could all get together here. I like the idea of entertaining if the guest list includes you, and even more if you would help me host."

I warm at his comment and my cheeks turn pink.

"Why the blush, Bella?" Edward asks softly. "You're important to me. I want to share these things with you." He pulls me into a hug and kisses my forehead. I squeeze his middle before releasing him.

"Come on, I know there's more to this tour," I smile up at him.

Edward nods and points at a few doors down the wall from the hall bath. "Laundry closet behind door number one, linen closet behind door number two, and furnace and water heater closet behind door number three. And this, my lady," Edward says with flair as he spins to the opposite side of the hallway, "is where we have the master bedroom."

The door opens to a hallway, with a five-piece bathroom on one side and a walk-in closet on the other. My sense of direction tells me the closet backs to the kitchen. The hallway opens to a huge bedroom with a sitting area near floor-to-ceiling windows and a king bed on the opposite wall. A door opens onto the same lanai accessible from the dining room alcove. Edward has a small desk in the sitting area. "That's my favorite place to work, but the view is distracting," Edward laughs. "The best thing about this room, though, is nothing I can take credit for. Nor can my mom, for that matter. Check this out."

He reaches into the nightstand and pulls out a remote. At the switch of a button, a flat-screen television rises up from a trunk at the foot of the bed. Another switch causes room-blackening shades to pull across the windows, and other switches control sound and various lights. "Cool, isn't it?" Edward asks with boyish enthusiasm. "The builder had these installed in all the units. I think the remote alone sold me on this place," he laughs.

"Wow, I think I'd never leave this room," I say spinning around to take it all in.

"If you say things like that, I may never _let _you leave. Come on, beautiful, I've saved the best for last - let's go check out the upstairs patio."

We head back through the condo to the spiral staircase. Edward gestures for me to go first, and chuckles about the view as we ascend. "Quit staring at my ass, Edward," I laugh down at him.

"What? I can't help it. Plus, you already know how I feel about your ass," Edward teases.

The staircase ends at a glass enclosure with a door leading onto the patio. The floor is teak, as is the wall at the back and south side of the patio. Like the public space on the other half of the roof, two sides have glass railings and are open to the view. Edward has a BBQ up here, as well as two chaise lounge chairs, a table that seats six, and a deep couch and two chairs around a fire pit. "I love it up here," Edward says as he grabs my hand and leads me to the railing. "Even though the rooms downstairs have views, this feels so much bigger. And star-gazing is spectacular from the lounge chairs."

"You're right, Edward. You did save the best for last."

"Check this out," Edward says with the same boyish enthusiasm he had for the remote in his bedroom. He pulls me to what looks like a closet near the staircase and slides up a small door. "It's a dumb-waiter to the kitchen. Makes it easier to transport food and dishes between the floors."

"Wow, now _that's_ awesome," I say with my own youthful enthusiasm. "Can we use it tonight?"

"Absolutely," Edward laughs. "Let's head back down and I'll start on dinner."


	15. Chapter 15

Edward and I work side by side in the kitchen. We're having grilled tuna steaks, roasted vegetables, salad and bread. The tuna is currently marinating in the refrigerator, while Edward chops vegetables for roasting and I prepare the Bibb lettuce salad.

"Very gourmet, Edward. How did you have time to pull all this together, or is your kitchen normally stocked so well?"

"Well," he starts as his cheeks tint a bit, "I was inspired at the market yesterday and hoped you'd come for dinner one night this week. I'm usually more of a cereal and PB&J kind of guy, but swear I _do_ know how to cook - it's just easier to be simple when I'm by myself. I also eat a lot of take-out," he laughs.

"This is perfect, and very thoughtful. I love seafood, so tuna steaks were an excellent choice. Thank you," I say as I lean over and kiss his cheek while both our hands are busy with knives.

Edward tosses the veggies in oil, sprinkles them with sea salt, and then puts them in the oven to roast. "I'm not very good at timing the food, though," he says. "I've just realized that the fish and salad will be done well before the veggies. I guess we can eat in stages."

"Hey, no worries. Let's enjoy our drinks for a while and we can start the fish in 30 minutes. The salad will keep and I'm not starving. "

Edward refills our wine glasses and heads to the sectional. I join him on the couch, sitting on the next cushion over. He grabs my hand and tugs a bit, positioning me against him so he can wrap his arm around me.

"Mmm, this is comfortable," I say as I lean into him.

"Tell me about your family, Bella. You said your dad lives in Forks? Is that where you grew up? I've not been up there before. What's it like?"

"My dad is the chief of police. It's a pretty small town - I knew every one of the kids I went to high school with, and their parents. There were only 47 in my graduating class, and less than half the kids went onto college. The other half went to work in the saw mill or found similar working-class jobs in the area. It's mostly a blue-collar town, where the men do manly things like fish and hunt and the women do girly things like gossip," I laugh. "I had a good experience in Forks, but after I finished at the University of Washington I couldn't see myself living in a small town again. My dad was resigned to me not returning home, and while I know he'd prefer if I were closer, he's pretty happy that I've remained in Washington."

"What about your mom?"

"She lives in Florida with her second husband, Phil. I actually lived with them in Phoenix until I was a sophomore in high school. I'd spend the summers with my dad, but for nine months of the year I lived with my mom and Phil. They moved to Jacksonville a few years ago."

"How'd you end up in Forks?" Edward asks.

"Well...my freshman year of high school was awful. There was a particularly catty group of girls that had it out for me. I'm not really sure why, but I think there was a misunderstanding about one of their ex-boyfriends who lived on my street. He and I were only casual acquaintances. One day in January I was egged from a car on my walk home from the bus stop. I couldn't see into the car very well, other than a clear sighting of Tanya Denali throwing the final egg at me. I have no idea who could have been driving the car as none of us were old enough to have a license. She yelled something about staying away from her man. I wasn't even interested in boys back then. Needless to say, I was in tears as I entered the house. My mom called the school, but nothing was ever done about the incident. If anything, the complaint probably made the situation worse for me because the taunting continued in the halls and cafeteria. When the school year ended, I told my mom there was no way I was going back."

"Wow. I'm so sorry that happened to you. What did your mom say?"

"Surprisingly, she offered that I could live with my dad. I don't think she expected me to follow through, but I was curious about life in a small town, and I really liked the idea of a fresh start. I missed my mom like crazy, but my dad was great and I am so thankful I was able to spend so much time with him. I know we'd never be as close as we are today if I'd stayed in Phoenix."

"Was it better in Forks?

"Oh yeah, worlds different. For one, I was in all the advanced classes because my curriculum in Phoenix was ahead of my new school. As a result, the friends I met were mostly studious, like me, and as the new girl I was a bit of a bright, shiny object. It was easier to meet people because they _wanted_ to meet me."

"I can't imagine anyone _not_ wanting to get to know you, Bella."

"I don't know about that, Edward," I laugh. "My best friend from school is Angela Weber. At first she didn't want anything to do with me. Angela was on her way to becoming the Valedictorian, and she saw me as the competition since I initially seemed so smart. I'm not saying I'm dumb, but a lot of my advantage came from having studied the material already. Anyway, eventually Angela figured out I wasn't a genius and we became great friends. Oh, and she ended up as Valedictorian," I chuckle. "She got married a couple of years ago to her high school sweetheart. She and Ben live in Port Angeles and are expecting."

"Jasper is one of the few friends from high school I'm still in touch with," says Edward. "I occasionally run into high school buddies now that I'm in Seattle, but mostly we've gone our separate ways. And the fault is probably mine. I wasn't good about staying in touch with anyone when I moved away for college. Are you and Angela still friends?"

"We are, but it's been a couple of months since I've seen her. Both Ben and Ang went to UDub with me and used to live in Ballard. When they found out they're expecting, they decided to move closer to home. Ben's a pharmacist and found a position at the hospital in Port Angeles. Angela quit her job as a Seattle Times reporter when they moved, but she's lined up some freelance work. Ang must be getting huge - they're having twins in three months. I'm overdue for a visit, as well as a trip to see my dad."

"Maybe we could make a road trip together," Edward says enthusiastically. "You could show me around Forks, and I could, um, meet your dad?" Edward asks hesitantly.

"Already trying to meet the parents, huh?" I tease.

"Hey, you already know mine. Fair's fair."

"Yeah, but they haven't met me as your girlfriend yet. They don't even know we've started seeing each other."

"Yeah, well, um...I sort of told them already," Edward says nervously. "My mom called from their cruise in Hawaii and I spilled the beans. I was just so exited to share it with someone, with them in particular. Is that OK? They're very happy for us. They think you're great."

I warm to the thought that Edward wanted to tell his parents, even if I'll be a little uncomfortable the next time I see Carlisle. I still think of him as my boss, and even though Edward is technically my boss now, I've never regarded him that way. It's more like we were equals at work before we became more on a personal level. That must be partly why this relationship with Edward doesn't feel awkward in the slightest.

"Edward, I was just teasing. Of course it's OK. We talked about this on Saturday and I don't want you to feel bad about telling your family. Besides, I told Allie. She squealed like a teenager. I'm still hearing a ringing in my left ear," I say with a grin.

Edward stands and pulls me to my feet. "Come on, let's put the tuna on the grill."


	16. Chapter 16

After a sumptuous dinner in which I got to use the dumb-waiter three times, our bellies are full and neither of us is up for a walk along the beach. "That was so good, but I can barely move. Can we just sit here and be comatose for a while?" I ask while leaning back in my chair at the table.

"I see a chaise with our names on it," Edward says as he rises from the table.

He sits on a chaise and pulls me to sit between his legs, much like Jasper did to Allie the night Edward and I became more. Edward wraps his arms around my waist and I lean against him, staring up at the stars.

"Any more satellites, Bella?"

We're silent for a while before a shooting star streaks across the sky. "Wow," we both say at once.

"That must mean something," I add.

"Well, there's an ancient tradition that you must kiss when you see a shooting star."

"Is that right?" I ask with a smirk.

"Oh yes, and you can't mess with ancient traditions," Edward says as he leans down to awkwardly kiss my lips. I turn around part way so I'm laying on my side and so neither of us has to be a contortionist to accomplish what we both want - a full-on make-out session under the stars. After a thorough exploration of lips and tongues, the discomfort of the single chaise starts to register. Allie and Jasper have it right with that double chaise. Maybe I can convince Edward to add one to his deck furniture.

I sit up and look Edward in the eyes. "Would you like to move somewhere a little more comfortable? It's great up here, but my back is getting a little twisted on the chaise."

* * *

**A/N ** - More?


	17. Chapter 17

We clean up the table and I skip happily to the dumb-waiter with my load. I head straight for the sectional once we're downstairs in Edward's living room. "I love this sofa, Edward. It's huge, and the leather is so soft," I say as I plop into a corner and rest my legs across the cushions.

Edward grabs my legs and lifts them while setting them back on his lap. "This is familiar," he says as he starts rubbing my ankles through my jeans and toying with the skin above my sandals. "God, I wanted to kiss you so badly that night. The experience was surreal. We were with Allie and Jasper having conversation, but at the same time it felt like I was alone in a bubble with you."

"That's exactly how it felt for me, only I couldn't concentrate on the conversation. I was so turned on that night."

"Really?! Wow, I with I'd known _that_," he says disbelievingly.

"I was! And I had butterflies in my stomach the entire night. I still get that way with you."

"What, the butterflies or turned on?"

"Well, both, I guess," I say shyly.

Edward swallows and caresses my shin beneath my jeans. "How about now, Bella?" he says in a low voice.

"Definitely both," I whisper back.

Suddenly Edward launches himself across me. It isn't the most graceful move, but it doesn't matter. Our hands are all over each other. Edward's left hand slides down my side, grazing my breast and latching onto my hip, his fingers curling into my ass.

"I love your ass," he says as he trails kisses down my neck. I spread my legs to make more room for him on the couch, and Edward groans as his groin brushes against my leg. I can feel his erection, and want him to be closer still. I slide down on the couch to lay flat, and Edward supports himself on his elbow beside my head. His left hand is still gripping my hip and I can tell he's trying to keep his body from pressing against me. I can't have that, so I grip his back and pull him to me, latching my mouth onto his and using my left leg to pull him down. Our groins connect, and we instinctually grind against each other.

"Bella, you feel incredible, but please tell me if this is too much," Edward pants into my neck.

"Don't stop, Edward. I wasn't kidding about being turned on. I'm not ready for sex, but I don't want to let you go. Is that OK?"

"Definitely OK. We can tame this down a little," he says while still grinding against me.

"Or we could keep doing this," I say before kissing him on the lips again.

Edward groans and continues his thrusting, which I shamelessly match with my own. He slides his hand up my side and gently strokes my breast through my shirt. I can feel my nipple harden beneath his touch. The effect seems to cause something in him to snap, as he suddenly takes more control of my body, cupping my full breast with his left hand and snaking his right hand under my neck to support and angle my head. We kiss deeply, while Edward picks up the pace of his thrusting.

"Oh god, that's so good. Don't stop," I say breathlessly between kisses.

Suddenly, a powerful orgasm rips through me and my body goes rigid before going slack. I've never been brought to climax so quickly. Edward is panting and still thrusting when I realize what's happened. He's looking into my eyes with wonder. "Did you just...? Wow, that, that's..., shit, Bella, that was so incredibly sexy," he says before kissing me passionately while maintaining his thrusting. He grunts in the middle of the kiss and stills, saying, "Oh god, oh god, oh god." When he falls slack against me, I wrap my arms around him and stroke his hair.

We stay like that for a while before Edward breaks the silence. "Bella, I really didn't intend for that to happen when I asked you over tonight, but I'm so, so glad it did. God, I can't imagine what it will feel like when we're in a bed, and without clothes," he chuckles and smiles at me. Edward kisses my lips sweetly before shifting so he's not putting all his weight on me. "I don't want to crush you, and I really don't want to leave you here, but I should probably clean up. Are you OK? Do you want to clean up a bit?"

"Yeah, that would be great," I say.

Edward rises and pulls me to my feet. We walk back to the bedrooms, me dipping into the hall bathroom while Edward heads into his room. "I'll just be a minute," he says.


	18. Chapter 18

I spend about 10 minutes in the bathroom, using the facilities, readjusting my clothing and taming my hair. Edward's waiting for me in the hallway when I step out. He's dressed in a pair of shorts and the same cotton t-shirt he had on earlier, but has slipped into Birkenstocks. He looks down at his shorts and gives me a sheepish look, then pulls me into a hug. As he tenderly tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, he asks if I'd still like to have dessert.

"Oh, I'd forgotten about the strudel! Sure, let's cut a couple of slices and sit out on the Lanai. But it's getting late. Do you need to get to bed?" I ask.

"I'm fine, Bella. It's only 10:30 pm. How about you? I know it's a work day tomorrow."

"Let's have dessert, and then if it's OK you could drive me home afterwards."

We sit outside enjoying our strudel and listening to the surf crash against the shore. "Bella, are you really OK with what happened tonight? Am I rushing you at all? I want to do this right, and I'm a little scared that I'm going to screw it up."

"Shh, Edward it's been perfect. I'll let you know if things get uncomfortable. I promise. So far I've loved every moment I've spent with you, and tonight especially. What happened inside? That was amazing, Edward."

He exhales a sigh and wraps his hand over mine where it rests on the chair arm. "It will be hard to say goodnight to you. I love having you in my place. Maybe we could do this again this week?" Edward asks hopefully.

"OK, but how 'bout I cook for you. I'm working in the office on Wednesday and have all-day Thursday free. Maybe Wednesday night would work? I'm scheduled for tours on both Friday and Saturday, but Saturday night is also free. What works best for you?"

"How about you cook for me on Wednesday night and Saturday night I take you out on a proper date."

"This wasn't a proper date?" I ask with a smirk. "Because I thought what we were doing earlier felt a lot like a date."

"You know what I mean," Edward says with a smile. "Let's go out for dinner, and maybe a movie or a show. Let me look into options and we can discuss on Wednesday."

"I'd love that. OK, for Wednesday night, any food preferences? Anything you don't like, or something you really _do _like?"

"If you're cooking, I'm sure I'll love it." I raise my eyebrow at his cheesy response. "But I guess that's not very helpful," Edward continues after registering my reaction. "I'm pretty easy when it comes to food, Bella. But I dislike artichokes and anchovies, and I tend not to eat a lot of red meat."

"I'm sure I can figure out _something _for that picky palate." I tease.


	19. Chapter 19

On Tuesday, I lead a tour that includes Pike Place Market, the Seattle Waterfront, and the Museum of Flight. It's an easy itinerary, other than ensuring no one gets lost in the crowds. Thankfully all guests are accounted for at each of my checkpoints. I shop at the grocery store that evening, grabbing ingredients for a Greek chicken and vegetables recipe. It's simple to make, requiring just an overnight marination and an hour's roasting time before serving. Pita and hummus for an appetizer while the chicken is roasting and a simple Greek salad with dinner will complete the meal.

My dad calls after I've finished preparing the chicken and vegetables in the marinade. "Hi dad, I'm just putting something in the refrigerator. Hang on a moment... OK, done. How are you?! Is anything wrong?"

"What? Can't a father call his daughter?" my dad laughs. "I just haven't heard from you in a while. Wanted to make sure you haven't been attacked by angry mobs."

"Oh, sorry. I'm great, Dad. Hey, I had a tour today that included the Museum of Flight, which I remember you loved when you came to visit last May. Oh, and there was a retired police chief on my tour - from somewhere in Louisiana. He had a very thick accent and called me 'Honey.' I told him about you and he said to tell you that you had raised me right, whatever that means," I laugh into the phone.

"He's right, Bella. You're my proudest achievement."

I give a self-deprecating laugh at his comment. "Dad, I've hardly solved world hunger."

"Maybe my comment sounds odd to you. What I mean is that you're your own person making your own decisions. I'm proud that you're independent and can take care of yourself. I like to think I had a little bit to do with that."

"Oh Dad, you had a lot to do with that. Thank you. I don't tell you that enough."

An awkward silence follows. My dad and I don't usually get emotional or share our feelings with one another. I'm not sure what's behind his comments tonight.

"By the way, I was talking with someone about traveling up to Forks soon. Do you remember my boss, Carlisle? His son Edward has moved back from Chicago to take over for Carlisle, who has started to step away from the business. He'd like to retire completely before the end of the year. In fact, Carlisle and his wife Esme are on a month-long cruise at the moment. Edward's been running the company just fine in the meantime."

"I remember Carlisle," my dad says. "What's this Edward like? Is he your boss now?"

"Um, well I guess technically he is sort of my boss, but I don't think of him that way. We've gotten to know each other over the past few months. It was Edward I was talking with about my overdue visit to Forks, and to Port Angeles to see Angela and Ben. He's never been to Forks before. I'd like to bring him along to meet you."

"Are you dating him, Bella?"

"Yeah, but it's very new. I know we work together and I need to be careful. But Dad, Edward's worth it."

"I just worry about you getting hurt, honey."

"He's different from Jake. I admit that when Jake and I split after college, I was a little gun-shy of meeting other guys. I've dated a little since then, but Edward's the first person I've wanted to get close to in the last five years. I'm in my late 20s dad; I need to move on. More importantly, Edward's great. I think you'd like him."

"Well if he makes you happy, then I'm happy. Bring him up here to Forks. I'd like to get to know the man who has captured my little girl's attention."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll figure out a time in my schedule that works for a visit and be in touch. Work starts to quiet down in September, so after Labor Day will probably work best for me. I'll try to arrange it around the days you have off, too."

"OK, honey. I'm glad you're thinking about coming for a visit."

"Thanks for calling - it's been good catching up. Hey, we didn't talk about you at all!"

"Nothing new with me anyway, Bella. I'm glad to hear you're doing fine. Talk to you soon, sweetheart."

"Bye, Dad."


	20. Chapter 20

Edward texts me at 10:00 pm that night, asking if I'm awake and whether it's too late to call. I dial his number in response.

"Hi! I'm so glad you called - much better than texting," Edward says when he picks up the phone.

"I agree - I'm all thumbs on the phone. How was your day?"

Busy, apparently. Edward describes his meeting with Holland America Cruise Line at their offices in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. They're negotiating our annual contract for shore tours. Edward wants them to accept an expansion of our services, but doesn't want to take a volume discount in exchange for the extra business. I can tell he's a good negotiator.

"Edward, why did you come back to Seattle? I know you were a attorney in Chicago. Do you miss that? Have you ever considered practicing law here?"

"Now _that's _a topic for a face-to-face conversation," Edward laughs. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow. The short answer is that I don't miss the job as a whole, but I sometimes miss aspects of it. I liked Chicago, but I missed my family more. I'd always planned to help run the business when my dad retired. When he mentioned that he wanted to start stepping down and Emmett made it clear that running the company wasn't for him, the timing just seemed right given what else was going on in my life. Anyway, it's a story that deserve a proper conversation."

"OK, I'll hold you to that conversation," I say with a smile that I hope he can hear in my voice. "I've got my dinner planned for tomorrow night," I say, changing the subject. "I hope you like Greek, and I promise there are no artichokes involved."

"Yum, I love Greek food. I can pick up some Retsina wine while I'm out tomorrow. Would that complement the meal? Oh, and there's still some strudel left in the refrigerator if you'd like to have that for dessert."

"Perfect, and yes, both the wine and the dessert will complement the food. I should get my beauty sleep. Are you going to be in the office tomorrow?"

"I'll be in meetings outside the office all day, but should be back in West Seattle about 5:30. I can swing by your apartment to pick you up and help carry the food to my place."

"That would be great. I'll see you at my place after work, then. Goodnight, Edward."

"Sweet dreams, beautiful."

* * *

**A/N -**I promise we'll get to the good stuff. Please tell me what you think.


	21. Chapter 21

I'm home and changed into comfortable clothing by 5:30 pm on Wednesday. Edward calls to say traffic is bad but he should be at my place shortly. My doorbell rings at 5:45 and I open it to find a grinning Edward who swoops me into his embrace.

"Hmmm, it's good to see you again," Edward murmurs into my neck. "How was your day?"

"Uneventful in the best way. How about yours?" I ask as we release one another.

"Good meetings. I was in Redmond talking with the procurement and event marketing teams at Microsoft. We're bidding on a contract to offer tours during some of their major campus events - everything from their CTO Summit to intern program events. I'm pretty sure that Puget Sound Excursions is also bidding, so we'll have to propose a compelling solution."

PSE was our primary competitor in the area, offering similar tours and like us jointly focusing on tourists and corporate sales. "I'm sure we'll do great, Edward. We have the better reputation, cleaner and more luxurious transportation, and we're a lot more flexible. PSE doesn't do as well with custom tours - if it's not to script, they struggle to create a quality experience. We're great at that. Maybe you should sell that angle, and suggest a few custom itineraries that would appeal to their different corporate audiences."

"Great idea. Let's talk more about it on Friday morning. You're in the office, then, right?"

"Yes. I have tomorrow off, but I'm working Friday and Saturday."

"OK, then no more work talk tonight. Let's get your stuff and head over to my place."

As I'm pulling the items from the refrigerator, Edward clears his throat and starts hesitantly, "Hey Bella, would you want to bring along an extra change of clothes?" After a brief pause, he starts talking quickly, spitting everything out in one breath. "You can have the guest room. I know it's only a couple of miles between your apartment and my place, and please know that I don't mind bringing you back here if you prefer. It's just that I don't have anything tomorrow until noon and I know you have the day off." He pauses to suck in a breath of air and begin again, talking less quickly. "I figured if we wanted to stay up late talking, it'd be easier for you if you only needed to walk down the hall to go do sleep instead of getting in my car for the return drive home."

I'm quiet for a moment as I process what he's said. I know the answer, but can't seem to get my mouth to cooperate with my brain before Edward blurts out, "You know what, forget I asked. That probably made you uncomfortable. Of course you wouldn't want to stay over in the guest room. It's OK, really, I can..."

I cover his mouth with my hand mid-sentence as he mumbles through a couple of more words. "Edward, stop. I do want to stay over. Let me just grab a few things from my bedroom."

I walk down the hall to my room and quickly pack a bra and panties, yoga pants, a sweatshirt, and my cotton sleep shorts and cami into a small duffel. In the bathroom, I empty the contents of my travel toiletries bag onto the countertop, confirming I still have the essentials and stuffing them back in their bag, adding my birth control packet to the mix. I started taking the Pill when I was in college and in a steady relationship. Despite the celibate lifestyle I've lived since then, I've stayed on it because I like how it regulates my cycle and reduces my period to just a few light days per month.

Edward is waiting for me in the hall with his left hand holding the paper bag of items we'll be having for dinner tonight. "I can take that," he says pointing to my duffel bag with his other hand.

"I've got it. You just keep the food from spilling inside that bag," I chuckle. "Ready to go?"

"I'm ready if you are," he says as I exit my apartment and wait for Edward to step aside so I can lock the door.


	22. Chapter 22

I've put the chicken and vegetables in the oven and we're enjoying some wine with pita and hummus at the kitchen island until dinner is ready. With a glance at the piano I ask Edward how often he plays.

"It's my stress reliever," he says. "Some people exercise, and I like to do that too, but if I'm stressed there's nothing like working through my thoughts while making music."

"What do you like to play?"

"Anything, really, but I usually default to classical songs I've memorized. If I can't sleep at night, I putz around with my own compositions."

"Really?! Could I hear one of your own pieces?"

"I need a little more liquid courage for that," Edward says with a shy smile while raising his wine glass. "I've never played them for anyone."

"Do you write them down?"

"Sometimes. A lot of it just involves putting chord progressions together and then adding harmony that sounds good in the moment. I don't always write that stuff down. But a tune can get stuck in my head, and I've found that writing it down let's me move on to something else," he laughs.

I grab Edward's hand and pull him from the stool, leading him to the piano. "Have a seat, sir. I would like you to play for me," I say formally. Edward takes a big gulp of his wine, hands me the glass and stretches his fingers.

"OK, but just remember that you asked for it," he smiles at me while I place our wine glasses on the nearby table.

The music starts with a complicated rhythm that has Edward's fingers flying up and down the keys. It's frantic and angry, and then suddenly switches gears and becomes calming and more melodic. I rest my hand on Edward's shoulder, and feel him lean towards me. "Sit with me?" he asks looking back and up at me. I settle in on the wide bench and Edward softly adds a harmonizing hum to the lovely music. The piece comes to a close and Edward adds, "I can't write lyrics - I've tried and they're complete crap. Usually I have an idea in my head of a voice part that complements the piano, so I got in the habit of humming it."

"The music is beautiful, Edward. I can't believe you composed that. You could sell it!"

"Thanks, but it's just for me. Well, and now for you," Edward says as he faces me on the bench. "I've never been comfortable sharing them with anyone before you. There's just something about you, Bella. You make me feel so at ease. It's not that I don't get nervous around you, because believe me I was sweating bullets the night I first kissed you. Everything with you just feels natural, though. I feel like I've known you for years."

"What was your inspiration for that piece?" I ask with a smile.

"I wrote it when I was in Chicago, around the time I decided to move back home."

Edward brushes a lock of hair behind my ear and leans down for a gentle kiss. It's a tender moment, not passionate like most of our kisses have been. I smile up at him and have the urge to caress his face because I want to convey how cherished he is to me. The kitchen timer goes off instead, making us both jump and then erupt into a fit of giggles.


	23. Chapter 23

We've eaten our dinner and dessert and are again sitting on Edward's comfortable couch.

"So," I start, "you promised to tell me more about Chicago."

"Yes, I did," he says with a smile. "So, Chicago... Have you ever been?"

"Just the airport. I had a connection in O'Hare once, but I don't think that counts."

"Nope, doesn't count," he laughs. "It's a great city. We should find time in our schedules to go next Spring. It's my favorite season there."

With that simple statement, the butterflies are back in my stomach. I love that Edward so naturally assumes major events, like a trip to Chicago next Spring, could happen if we simply arrange our calendars to accommodate the trip. There's no hesitancy in committing to _us_. And this thought makes me want him, right now. I know he wants and maybe even needs to tell me about his Chicago experience, but at this moment all I want is to be wrapped up in Edward.

"Edward, I would really love to hear about Chicago, but what you just said has me so worked up," I say as I start to unbutton my top. Edward looks at me quizzically, not seeming to mind that I'm disrobing but not understanding my statement, either.

"Bella," he says as he starts to help me unbutton my shirt, "I'm not sure I'm following you. I'm going with it, because I definitely won't object to you taking off your blouse on this couch, but I'd like to know what I said so I can do it again sometime," he says with a smirk as he begins unbuttoning his own shirt.

I've discarded my top and am starting on my jeans. As I unbutton, unzip, and shimmy out of them, I say, "Everything with you is so easy, Edward. The simple things you say - like the idea of taking a trip to Chicago next Spring - God, I just want to wrap myself around you and never let you go. Can we do that? I don't want any barriers between us." I push his shirt over his shoulders and start undoing his belt. Edward gets into the disrobing, and soon we're both in our underwear. I lean forward and capture his lips in mine while reaching behind my back to unclasp my bra. Edward's hands immediately cup my breasts and I arch into his touch.

"You're so beautiful." He pauses a moment to look me in the eyes. "Will you regret this, Bella? Last time you were here you said you weren't ready for sex. I need to know what you feel comfortable with," he says while brushing his thumb over my right nipple and then leaning down to kiss it.

I moan a little and tug his hair to keep him close."No regrets, I promise. I just want you. - skin to skin, inside, and wrapped around each other."

"Shit, Bella," Edward says as he flips onto his back, pulling me on top of him. I sit up, my legs on either side of his hips, and grind into his erection. Edward sits up and his mouth latches onto a nipple again, while his hand caresses my side from my hip to my breast. He grabs my ass and directs our grinding, sliding his hand into the back of my panties . "Off, these definitely need to come off," he growls. I put my fingers into the waistband of his boxers and tease the skin along his belly. My fingers come in contact with the head of his cock and Edward groans.

"Sweetheart, can we take this into the bedroom? The first time we do this, I want to make love to you, and I want to do that on a bed."


	24. Chapter 24

I scramble off Edward, pull down my panties and leave them trailing in the hallway as I rush into his bedroom. Edward chases behind me, leaving his own underwear somewhere between the couch and the bedroom. I've launched myself onto his bed and flipped around, such that I can see him stride purposesly towards me when he enters the room, his erection standing proud and bouncing as he walks.

I crawl onto my hands and knees at the edge of the mattress, shamelessly staring at his beautiful body. Edward stands beside the bed when he reaches me, and strokes down my back with one hand. I look up at him, grab his cock, then give him a firm stroke and tug his erection in the direction of my mouth. My tongue reaches out to carress the tip, earning me a groan from Edward.

"Mmm," Edward moans as he puts his right knee onto the bed and runs both hands down my back, cupping my ass cheeks at the end of his stroke. I take Edward deep into my mouth, sucking as I pull back until he pops from my lips. My tongue reaches out to lick his tip again, when Edward pulls my chin up with his finger.

"I don't want to come like this. It feels amazing, but all this will be over too soon if you keep going. Lay back, Bella. Let me show you how beautiful you are."

Once I'm positioned on my back, Edward slides his hands up my body from my ankles to my outstretched arms. His own body is now stretched over mine and he leans down to place a gentle kiss on my lips. "Oh Bella, the things I want to do with you. You're exquisite," he says in a raspy voice. "Tell me what you like, sweetheart. I want to hear if something feels good."

"It all feels good, Edward," I reply with a pant. "Just touch me, and let me touch you."

"Hands to yourself for a bit." Edward says as he positions my arms above my head and leans down to take a nipple into his mouth. His left hand moves down my body while his right arm supports most of his weight. I feel him brush his hand over my breast, down my side, underneath me to squeeze my ass, then down the top of my thigh. He reaches my knee, and slowly trails his fingers up the inside of my thigh. I'm so wet, and shamelessly writhing and moaning. As Edward's fingers reach the wetness of my upper thigh, he groans into my nipple, lifts his head and brings his lips to mine. His fingers keep climbing until he's stroking my lower lips and sliding his middle finger inside me. I can't take not touching him anymore, so I bring my hands to his head and weave my fingers into his hair. With one hand still anchored in his hair, I reach the other hand between us. I want to touch him as he's touching me, but he's too tall for me to reach his erection so I stroke back and forth across his stomach instead.

It's been so long since I've been with someone, and I know it will be a little uncomfortable, but I can't imagine being any wetter than I am now. I'm impatient and I just want Edward inside me. "Edward, we should probably use a condom. I'm on the Pill, but we haven't talked about our pasts. I trust you, and you can trust me, but I think we should be responsible. I have a condom in my toiletry bag."

"Shh," Edward says gently as he kisses me before reaching into the drawer of his bedside table. "You're right, Bella."

* * *

**A/N** - There's more to come. What do you think?


	25. Chapter 25

Edward sits up and slides to the edge of the bed with his feet on the floor. I kneel behind him, kissing his neck and wrapping my arms around his waist until I can reach his erection, which I stroke while he rips the packaging off the condom.

"Let me do that," I say near his ear. He turns on the bed with one knee bent on the mattress and hands me the condom. I roll it on, my eyes fixated on my task. When I'm done, I stroke him and push him onto his back. "You're beautiful, Edward. I'm so turned on by you. Let's not wait anymore - I want you inside me."

Edward groans, pulls me to him and captures my lips in a passionate kiss. He flips me on my back and returns to stroking me with his hand. "Do you like this, Bella? I'm not going to last long this first time, sweetheart."

Edward leans down and kisses my belly. He scoots down the bed until his face is level with my clit, which he wraps his lips around while stroking into me with his finger. He adds another finger and my hips writhe up from the bed. Suddenly his tongue starts tapping hard and quick on my clit while his fingers curl inside me. The tingle that had begun in my toes races up my body, and I explode in a powerful orgasm grabbing his head to both hold him to me and get him to stop - I don't know what I want because the pleasure is almost painful. Edward changes the attention on my clit, sucking it while lightly rolling his tongue around in a circle. A second orgasm hits just as the first wave finishes, and I manage to get out that I want him inside me.

"Please Edward, please come up here. Inside. I want you inside," I pant.

He moves up my body, snaking his arm under my left knee and bending my leg up to the side of my body. Somehow he's managed to align his erection perfectly and he slams into me, stilling as his hips meet mine.

"Oh god," Edward grunts. "Shit, Bella. You feel incredible." He starts a slow thrust, and each time he pulls nearly completely out. It's maddening, so I speed it up. "Bella, I'm not going to last."

"Shh, Edward this is what I want," I say as I kiss his neck and thrust hard against his hips. Edward picks up his pace, his pubic hair brushing hard against my clit with each thrust. I'm so sensitive right now, and I can feel another wave radiating from my core. We grind into one another with each thrust.

The angle changes slightly when Edward lifts his arm that's holding my knee. It causes new stimulation inside and out and another orgasm snakes through my body making my free leg go rigid and my left leg clench around Edward's arm.

"Shit, shit, shit," I pant.

Edward kisses my face and neck as I climax, then thrusts hard and stills above my body with his back arched. I'm coming down from my own high just enough to watch him orgasm and it's beautiful. My hands reach up to his neck, then his face to caress over his closed eyelids, my thumbs grazing his open lips that turn into a smile. Edward collapses on top of me, burying his head in my neck.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he pants.

"Shh, I should be saying that. I've never had an experience like this. Three orgasm, Edward! Three! I thought multiple orgasms were a myth," I say reverently.

Edward shifts onto his side, supporting his upper body on his elbow. He slides out and I wince at the discomfort. "Oh Bella, did I hurt you? God, I'm so sorry. What can I do?" he asks with concern.

"I'm fine, Edward. It's a good kind of discomfort. It's just been awhile, a long while."

"Stay here. I'll be right back," he says while rising from the bed and heading into the bathroom. I hear water running and soon see him return with a towel and wash cloth, which turns out to be wet and warm. Edward runs the wet cloth between my legs, then follows with the dry towel. He kisses my breast and neck as he does so, and then wraps me in a hug as he tosses both the towel and cloth to the floor. "Let's go to bed. Come on, beautiful, crawl under the covers," he says as he lifts the covers from the bed so I can get inside. Edward pulls off the comforter, grabbing a lighter-weight blanket from a chest against the wall. "It's warm tonight, so we don't need such a heavy blanket. Plus, that one needs to be washed," he smirks as he tosses the comforter to the side of the room.

When he slides under the sheets to join me, I'm pulled into his embrace so I can rest my head on his chest. I position a feather pillow in the crook of his arm so I don't make him uncomfortable, then wrap my arm around his chest. Edward hugs me to him, placing a kiss against my forehead as we both sigh. "I'm exhausted," I whisper as I drift off to sleep. Clearly three orgasm wipes me of all energy.

"Shh, go to sleep beautiful," I hear through the fog of sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

I wake with Edward wrapped around me, his arm pressing on my full bladder. Edward must have closed the blinds with his magic remote because it's nearly pitch black in the room. A sliver a light shining into the room from the hallway allows me to make my way to the bathroom. I clean up, rinse my face, and then head in the direction of my bag, which I left near the front door.

The windows in the great room are wide open, affording me a view to the beautiful pink sky with the sun just starting to peek over the Cascade Mountains. I scramble around for my bag, acutely aware of my nakedness and feeling exposed in the wide-open room. Edward's short-sleeved shirt is closest, having landed on the entryway side of the couch last night. I slip it on and fasten three middle buttons, then wander towards the windows to catch the sunrise. A few joggers run past on the path along the beach. No one seems to notice me. Next time I'm down there, I'll have to pay attention to whether I can see into Edward's apartment from that vantage point.

I'm about to head back into Edward's bedroom when I jump as arms wrap around me.

"Sorry, it's just me," Edward says in a sleepy voice. "I like you in this shirt," he adds as he places a kiss under my ear. I relax and lean into his embrace. Edward's arms slip into his shirt, his left hand sliding up to tease the nipple of my right breast and his right hand snaking down to caress up and down my thigh. I'm immediately turned on and I can feel his erection pressing against my lower back. "What are you doing out here? I missed you," Edward murmurs in between kisses to my neck.

"I came looking for my bag, but got distracted by the sunrise. But now I'm getting distracted by something else," I groan as Edward's hand that was caressing my thigh has moved between my legs to stroke my lower lips. I part my legs to allow his hand easier access, and tilt my head to encourage more of his kisses on my neck.

"Lean forward Bella. Put your hands on the table."

I do as I'm asked, and Edward grabs my hips with two hands, pulling my ass back before sliding his hand up my back, pushing his shirt up to my shoulders as he does. I hear a condom wrapper being torn as Edward says lowly, "I came prepared." One hand stays on my lower back, while he must be busy putting on the condom with the other - I consider how dexterous he is to do so with one hand, then remember how talented his fingers were last night and am not surprised.

Both his hands kneed my ass cheeks, before one hand runs down between my legs, cupping me from behind. His middle finger slides in and out of me, while his other hand snakes around to the front, going immediately for my clit.

"Oh god, ahh..." I groan out.

"I love hearing you when it feels good," Edward says as both hands suddenly slide to grip my hips and he slams into me from behind. I'm lifted off the floor by Edward's hands on my hips, and instinctually go up on my toes while palming the table to prevent myself from sliding into it. "Hang on, Bella," Edward groans as he pulls out and slams back in again. His cock is thick and feels especially tight in this position. I look up and see Edward's reflection in the window in front of us.

There are more joggers on the path out front now. I never thought I was an exhibitionist, but the idea that they might see us makes this even more erotic. Edward catches my eyes in the window, and I see him look down to where we're joined, pulling out and pushing back in again.

"You feel so tight, Bella, and I love seeing myself disappear into you," he says as he slams back into me. His left hand continues to hold my hip and keep me from slamming into the table while his right arm snakes around my front. "Come on, sweetheart, let go," he says as he rubs my clit in a circular motion.

Edward uses his foot to push a chair out from the table, then sits on it while we're still joined so that I'm sitting on his lap, my legs on either side of his. The angle is different this way, and when he resumes rubbing my clit, my body quickly erupts into orgasm.

"Shit, yes, that's it. I can feel that Bella!" Edward puts both hands on my hips again and directs me up and down his shaft, the vestiges of my orgasm still pulsing through my core. I put my hands on his knees and use the leverage to bounce faster and harder against him. "Shit, shit, shit," Edward shouts while gripping my hips almost painfully. I slow my pace down to nothing as Edward's arms go slack and his legs stretch lifelessly out in front of him.

After a moment he hugs me around my waist. "oh Bella, I dont' think I'll ever get enough of you."

I climb off Edward and turn around, facing him for the first time this morning. Leaning forward, I place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Good morning. That was some wake-up call."

"You were too enticing - standing in the window, framed by the pink sky and wearing my clothes."

"But you were prepared. Where did you hide that condom, anyway?" I say in a teasing tone.

"Right, well I might have hoped to find you," Edward says with a smile. "As to where it was, didn't you see me put it on the table when I came into the room for you?"

"Ah, no. I must have been distracted," I say with a slight blush. "How about a shower?"

"Excellent idea."


	27. Chapter 27

"God, that's a beautiful sight," Edward says as I arch my back and neck to get my hair wet under the shower head.

"Your turn," I say as I scoot out from the spray so Edward can soak his own hair. He goes face first, then whips his head back and forth spraying water on everything nearby, including me. "Interesting technique," I laugh. "Do you always rinse your hair that way?"

"I guess so. I don't know. Seems fastest," he shrugs.

We're grinning like fools. Edward grabs me by the waist and tugs me to him, placing a kiss on my nose. I rub my hands over his biceps and up to his shoulders, then into his wet hair. "Let me wash it for you. Turn around."

After I've scrubbed his head and he's rinsed in his funny face-forward manner again, he turns me around and repeats the favor. Reciprocal body washes come next, and I have fun paying special attention to his cock, which remains in a semi erect state throughout our shower. When we're thoroughly cleaned, he turns off the water and reaches outside the glass door to grab a towel. Edward dries me off and wraps me in the large, fluffy cotton, then steps out to do the same for himself. I step out and grab a second towel to wrap around my long hair, pulling it up in a turban atop my head.

"You look cute like that," Edward says with a smile. "Are you tired? It's still early. We could rest for a while before officially getting up."

"The warm water relaxed me, so that sounds nice - plus you have a really comfortable bed."

"OK, I'll meet you in there. I'm just going to shave quickly."

Clean-shaven and smelling musky from his shaving cream, Edward joins me under the covers a short while later.

I turn on my side to face him. "Last night, you started to tell me about Chicago. I'm sorry I cut you off. I really do want to hear about it."

"Hah - I am _so _not sorry we got busy with other things," Edward smirks.

I smile and caress his smooth face, my thumb rubbing over his cheek while my fingers snake into his hair. "I'm not sorry about the other things. But I do want to know about you, and we should probably talk about our pasts, too."

Edward leans forward to peck my lips. "I like that you're responsible, Bella. And you're right, we should cover those things with each other. Your maturity is one of the things I admire about you."

"You make me sound like I'm serious and boring," I pout.

"That's not what I meant - you're far from boring, and you can be fun and playful. But I like that you're serious. I wasn't always that way. I've come to appreciate being responsible."

"What do you mean?" I ask.


	28. Chapter 28

"In high school I concentrated on my studies and sports. I played basketball and baseball all four years. Some of the guys on the teams were really into partying, and there were always girls hanging around willing to do all kinds of crazy things with the players.

"I wanted to go to school at Northwestern. My dad had gone there, and I'd wanted to follow in his footsteps since I was a kid. I knew I had to keep up my grades and stay out of trouble if I was going to earn an admission, so when all the other guys partied I'd head home to study."

"You did go to Northwestern, so you must have remained focused," I say, somewhat confused by where this story is going.

"Yeah, I earned an early admission. The rest of my senior year, I let loose a little because I figured I had it made. My grades didn't slip, but I started partying more. Nothing too crazy, but I did start dating Kate that year. She hung around with the wild crowd, but seemed more studious, like me. We explored a lot of things together, including mushrooms. I'd always sworn off drinking and any kind of drug, but I convinced myself that mushrooms were less harmful since they were natural. Kate wanted to try them and mess around afterward. It became our Saturday night ritual for the next three months. I don't think it was an addiction, at least not for me, except maybe to the sex. I was an 18-year-old boy - sex was on my mind all the time.

"Anyway, for me it was just a fun senior year. I knew Kate and I would part ways at the end of the school year. We'd talk about going to separate schools and moving on with our lives. I never intentionally gave her the impression that I wanted to keep the relationship going once we headed off to college."

"What happened after you graduated?"

"In August, I gave Kate a kiss goodbye when she left to attend UC-Santa Barbara. I left for Chicago later that week. We stayed in touch through email, but as school got busy our contact became less and less. Kate called me late one night in early December, just before final exams. She sounded off - slurred her words and rambled about how she missed me, and how much she wanted us to get back together again."

Edward pauses a moment, and I can tell he's collecting his thoughts. "What did you say?" I ask gently.

"Mostly I just listened. She said something about married student housing at UC-Santa Barbara, and how she wanted to feel close to someone again. I tried talking with her rationally, then she started getting angry at me and calling me all kinds of names. I figured it was alcohol or drugs talking, so I tried to calm her down. She hung up on me and didn't answer when I tried calling back. I sent a text message, and an email, and got no response to those either. I didn't know any of her friends there, or have another way to get in touch with her. Maybe I should have contacted her parents, but it seemed so extreme at 2:00 am for what was essentially a fight between two former high school sweethearts. Eventually I decided that she probably just fell asleep, or realized what she'd said and felt a little embarrassed."

"Did you see her over Christmas break?" I ask.

Edward sighs and rolls onto his back. "She didn't make it home. Sometime that night or the next morning, she crashed her car into a ravine. The coroner's report said she was killed on impact, and that she had alcohol and cocaine in her system. She was 18, Bella, and I felt like I didn't do enough to prevent that from happening."

A lump forms in my throat at the heartache Edward must have faced. "Oh Edward, that's so tragic for Kate and her family. And it had to be terrible for you, too, to lose someone you were close to. But it wasn't your fault. Terrible things happen and sometimes it's no one's fault."

"I didn't go to the funeral. I stayed in Chicago through Christmas break because I couldn't face my classmates or Kate's family looking at me and knowing I was the cause of her death. My parents insisted I see a counselor. Despite my initial protests, I knew they were right. In time, I did come to understand that it wasn't my fault, but the guilt was very difficult to deal with. I cleaned up my act though. I had started to party quite a bit at Northwestern - joined a fraternity and attended every house party. I felt like I deserved it - like I'd worked so hard and stayed so good through high school, and now that I'd achieved my goal I was entitled to live a wilder life. Kate's death changed that behavior immediately."

"What happened after Christmas break?"

"I dropped out of the fraternity and changed my major from Communications to pre-law. I hadn't really known what I wanted to do, so originally I picked a major with required classes that seemed easy. It's not that I was just looking for the easy way out," Edward says as he turns his head to look at me. "I figured that if they were easy to me, then it meant it was a natural strength. Pretty cocky, huh?

"Anyway, once I decided I wanted to be a lawyer, I buckled down and did what I could to finish early. I increased my class load and took classes through the summer. I suppose my year-round living in Chicago was partly to blame for me losing touch with all my high school friends. In the following years, I came home only at Christmas and then just hung out with my family. Even though I no longer blamed myself for Kate's death, I was still uncomfortable getting back in touch with people who had known us as a couple."

"I think that's very understandable, Edward."

* * *

**A/N** - Please review.


	29. Chapter 29

"With the extra course load and summer classes, I finished my undergrad in three years and got into the law school. I did all the things you were supposed to do - edited the law journal, clerked for a state justice, interned at a major law firm. I liked it and felt successful.

"When I finished, I got a job offer from the same firm where I'd interned, and I did my time there like every other first-year associate. I worked 80 hours a week and did the grunt work for the senior partners. Jenks, one of those partners, took me under his wing. Near the end of my first year, Jenks secured me a spot on the team working on the firm's largest case. When Jenks had a heart attack in the middle of a critical week for the case, I was put unofficially in charge of our strategy. Officially, another senior partner took over the case, but he was so removed from it and defaulted to everything I suggested. The team working on the case knew I was behind our approach, and apparently so did the partners. When we won that case six months later, they made me a partner."

"Wow, you must have been so proud. That's a remarkable achievement, Edward. Isn't it very rare to become a partner so early?"

"Yes, at that firm I was the youngest person to ever make partner. I did feel proud of my accomplishment, and I loved both my new office and the condo in Wrigleyville that my new salary afforded me. When I had an ocassional night free, though, I realized there was a lot missing in my life. I didn't have many friends, and none of my family lived close to me. That thing with Kate? I think it kept me from getting close to anyone new."

"Is that why you moved back home?" I ask.

"No, not exactly. I met someone later that year. Maggie was an attorney like me, but she worked for Legal Aid. She lived in the neighborhood and we rode the same el train every morning. One day she dropped papers on the platform. We got to talking when I helped her pick them up. Over the next two months, we sat together during our commute and eventually I got up the nerve to ask her out. We started seeing each other regularly to the extent our schedules allowed."

Edward pauses, and I'm quiet while absorbing this revelation.

"Maggie and I were more friends than anything. Maybe that's even too strong a word. I did care about her, but I think our connection was one of convenience. Since she was a lawyer too, Maggie understood the demands of my job. Even though her job had different stresses, she was aware of what life is like in a major law firm, and didn't hold it against me when I would have to cancel plans at the last minute. In the end, she told me that she'd met someone and wanted to part ways as friends. Technically we weren't exclusive, but neither of us had seen other people. It stung at first - no one wants to get rejected. But really she did me a favor because eventually I would have had to do the same thing to her. Maybe not the meeting-someone-first part, but definitely the breakup."

"How long did you see each other?"

"About three years."

My face must register my surprise at the length of their relationship, considering how Edward's described it. He cups my cheek and begins again, "I know that sounds like a really long time, but sometimes we would go several weeks without seeing each other. And, like I said, we were more friends than anything. My life was in a boring rhythm - most of my energy went into work. Maggie and I never met one another's families, and except for serving as each other's date at the occasional work event, we kept our lives separate."

"Did you sleep together?" I whisper, a question I know is irrational but I'm somehow more jealous of this adult relationship than his high school romance with Kate.

"Yes," Edward says as his lips rise into a slight smile.

"Oh."

"Bella, it was a while ago. And in any case, I didn't feel one ounce of what I feel for you when I was with her."

"I'm sorry. It's crazy to feel jealous. Just ignore me."

"I like that you're a little jealous. I'll probably go crazy when you tell me about your past."

"Were there others? I don't need names - just a number. How many people have you slept with?"

"Counting you, three."

I'm expecting a much higher number, and it takes a moment to register that Maggie was the last person Edward slept with. I smile at him and kiss his lips. "Two," I say.

"Really!? Wow, that's.. well that's pretty damn great, actually," Edward says with a wide grin.


	30. Chapter 30

"Will you tell me about it sometime?" Edward asks.

"About what?"

"About your other partner. I don't want details. But you said it's been awhile. I guess I'm wondering how long it's been, maybe why there haven't been any others."

"Yes, I will some day, but for now is it enough to say the last time was at the end of college?"

I'm not ready to talk about Jake. It's not that I'm still pining for him - I don't know that I ever did. But the betrayal I felt at the end of our nearly six-year relationship is hard to express without sounding bitter. Edward doesn't need to be exposed to that.

"OK, whenever you're ready," Edward says as he gives me another sweet kiss.

I want to change the subject, and choose the cowardly way by making it about him again. "So, you still haven't told me what made you come back to Seattle."

"Oh, well I sort of did on the phone last night. When I came home for Em's and Rose's wedding, I realized how much I missed being close to family. My restlessness in Chicago had been building since Maggie and I split. I had more time on my hands to contemplate how monotonous my life was. Most weeks I put in 90 or more hours on work, at least 70 of those in the office. I'd spend my weekends playing pickup basketball in the morning and then working from home all afternoon. Sometimes I'd go out for drinks, but my friendships were all shallow, and I kept most of my work colleagues at an arm's length."

"Do you think that was due to what happened with Kate?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I never felt like I wanted to put down roots in Chicago. I suppose it's not surprising that I didn't - self-fulfilling prophesy and all that. I know it sounds like I lived a lonely, pathetic life. Maybe I did, but at the time I wouldn't have described myself as unhappy. I felt successful, at least by the definition I had made for myself. And the cases I worked on were interesting. I loved the negotiation aspects - sitting in a room and arguing our points successfully against the other party. It's an adrenalin rush.

"Anyway, at Em's wedding my dad mentioned that he wanted to retire within a couple of years. He didn't want to sell the business, and Em didn't want to take it over. It was just a comment, maybe said to see if I had a creative solution for him. I started thinking seriously about moving home once I returned from the wedding. My dad's comment kept running round and round my head. I finally picked up the phone and talked with him about it, asking how he'd feel about me taking over for him. Moving home was a big deal. It meant giving up my partnership, and probably dropping out of the legal profession altogether."

"What did your dad think about you moving back?"

"He was supportive but cautious. He didn't want me to regret the decision, and probably understood better than my mom what I'd be giving up career-wise. My mom was 100% biased towards me moving back," Edward chuckles.

"I can imagine," I say, thinking of Esme's adoration of her two sons.

"I wrote lists - lots of pro-and-con lists for moving home. Family kept trumping all the cons I could imagine. Still, I remained undecided. About three months later I was working on a big case and my dad called in the middle of an important meeting with our client. I excused myself from the meeting and took the call. It turned out to be no big deal - my dad just had a few legal questions about an insurance policy he was purchasing for the business and didn't realize he'd interrupted me. But the call made _me _realize how much more important my dad was than the Fortune 500 CEO sitting in the other room. I finished the meeting, but took off the rest of the that day to contact moving companies for quotes."

"So no particular trigger - just a call out of the blue and your mind was decided?" I ask.

"The client was an asshole. That might have had something to do with it," Edward laughs. "But yeah, that call from my dad was the trigger. Making the decision was so freeing. The first thing I did when I got home was burn those lists. I had made my decision, and I didn't need a list of pros and cons to justify my choice. I did agree to finish the case for the firm, but five months later I was in Seattle."

"Can I just say I'm very, very glad you decided to come back?" I smile at him.

Edward leans in for a kiss, which quickly turns heated since neither of us bothered to put on clothes after our shower. We make love slowly, with Edward telling me how beautiful I am. I don't climax, but I'm not sure my body can take another orgasm anyway. Edward seems a little concerned about it, like it's a personal failure of his. I remind him that I'm still ahead on the orgasm count, though I really don't want us to start keeping track of such things.

* * *

**A/N - **I'm just wondering if there are people out there reading this fic. Tell me what you think, good or bad. I don't know if posting so often is a good or bad thing. Eventually real life will keep me from posting several times a day. For now, I'll try to keep going at a good clip if you seem to like that. Thank you to those who have reviewed, followed and added this to their favorites. I appreciate it more than you know.


	31. Chapter 31

I see Edward again on Friday when I do my morning shift at the office. We manage to keep our interaction completely professional. Edward asks for input on the Microsoft proposal he's writing, and Lauren and I help him brainstorm some custom itineraries. We also pull quotes from our files of customers who wrote us thank you notes. It's a fun exercise that makes the morning pass quickly.

I respect Lauren as a guide. She takes her work seriously and is knowledgeable about each location. She also has a fun and flirty style using humor in her commentary, and tour guests rate her very highly. My only complaint is that she sometimes takes her flirtiness too far.

Like right now, for instance. We're in the conference room, standing at the table and arranging pictures and tour descriptions into various itineraries. Lauren keeps leaning into Edward, putting her hand on his arm and shoulder. Her low-cut top is showing a lot of cleavage, which she makes sure is often in front of Edward's eyes. It's driving me nuts, and I can tell Edward's a bit uncomfortable.

"Hey Lauren, how did it work out on your date with Mike?" I ask. Mike is one of our part-time bus drivers. He's more boy-next-door than GQ, so not really Lauren's taste. I was surprised when Mike told me they had a date planned last week. I can instantly tell the question hits a nerve with Lauren.

"It wasn't a date. We just got drinks after work," she says curtly.

"Oh, I guess I mis-heard," I say. But my tactic works, because Lauren keeps her hands to herself the rest of the meeting.

I have a corporate tour for Starbuck's in the afternoon. It's a small group of Japanese business guests who are getting a driving tour of Seattle's street art. My script had to be sent over to their interpreter early, and I've agreed to meet with her 30 minutes before our tour starts. No doubt she'll have a few questions about sites that need to be seen to be understood - the Fremont Troll comes to mind. The behemoth concrete ogre underneath the Aurora Ave Bridge clutches a real VW bug and is the site of a rollicking Halloween party every year.

As I grab my tour detail sheet and a sack lunch, Edward calls after me. "Bella, got a sec?"

"Sure, but just a moment. I need to make it to Starbuck's by 12:30." We walk into his office and he keeps the door open.

"Thanks for your help on the proposal. I think your idea was perfect."

I beam at him because no matter our relationship, it's nice to be praised for a job well done. "Thanks. I hope Microsoft agrees."

"They will, I'm sure of it." Then in a whisper Edward asks, "Can I see you later?"

I whisper back, "What time?"

"I'll text you when you're on your way downtown. Is Mike driving?"

I nod that Mike is indeed my driver this afternoon. Edward glances out the door to see if anyone is nearby, then grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Have a good tour, Bella," he says in a normal voice.

"Thanks. Talk to you later," I reply back.

My phone beeps a few minutes later while I'm in the bus, digging into my sandwich.

**Can I come over tonight? -E**

**Yes. Is everything OK? -B**

**I don't want to wait until our date to see you again. -E**

**You're making me nervous. Is something wrong? -B**

**No! I just want to see you. Too clingy? -E**

**LOL! No. 7 PM? -B**

**CU then. -E**

Mike looks back and sees me smiling. "Hot date, Bella?" I feel like I've been caught red-handed.

"Um, no. Not exactly." Diversion, Bella, diversion! "Speaking of hot dates, Lauren talked about having drinks with you last week."

"Uh, yeah. She told me that I should ask out Jess. What do you think?" Mike asks.

I stifle a laugh. Jess and Lauren are friends, but they're constantly bickering and undercutting one another. Lauren probably thinks she's pawned her 'Mike problem' off on Jess, but the irony is I think Jess actually likes Mike. It's a high school drama with these three. I can only sit back and watch it happen. "I don't know Mike. If you like her, maybe you should ask her out."

"Hmm, yeah. She's cute and all, but she's not you, Bella."

"Miiiike," I whine. "We've had this conversation before. You don't really like me. You like the idea of me - someone you can talk with and who doesn't make you nervous. Ask out Jess. She's more your type anyway." Mike's type is blond with big tits.

"I'm nervous around her."

"You asked out Lauren." Also blond with big tits.

"Yeah, but I never thought she'd say yes. And it didn't go so well."

"Let me guess, you asked her to sleep you with?" Mike nods sheepishly. We're nearly at Starbuck's corporate offices and I need to wrap up this conversation. "Mike, I recommend you try to get to know your date first. Ask her questions. Listen to her answers. Be a _gentleman _who doesn't come across as only wanting sex, even if that's the only thing on your mind. Lie if you have to."

"You just get me, Bella."

"Yeah, yeah."


	32. Chapter 32

Fuuuuuuck. Edward spreads my legs wider and uses his arm to push my hips back down on the couch. He's on his knees on the floor, my clothes completely discarded and his entirely still on his body, though not for my lack of trying. His tongue enters me repeatedly, in between licking all around my lips, but he's refusing to touch my clit.

"Shit, Edward." I arch my hips off the couch again, trying to get him to move his attention just a tiny bit north. He knows what I want, but instead he moves his face from between my legs and sucks hard on my left nipple. The fingers of one hand curl around my ass in between my cheeks, his index finger toying with the skin at my anus. It makes me a little nervous, and I tense at the sensation.

"Shh, I won't hurt you, Bella. Relax," Edward says in between flicking my nipple with his tongue. "I've been thinking about this since yesterday morning," he says as he kisses up my breast to my neck. At my ear, he continues in a whisper, "...thinking about how I could make you come undone. How I could make you feel amazing." His fingers are still caressing my ass, and his other hand reaches around to slide between my lower lips again, still not touching my clit. This is such sweet torture.

Suddenly he pulls back, puts my arms on the top of the couch and tells me to hold the position. He stands and removes his t-shirt, undoes his shorts, pushing them down along with his boxers and kicking his flip-flops and clothing aside. His cock is even with my face, and when he puts his hands on my hands at the back of the couch, he brings his erection near my mouth. "Will you lick it, Bella? I want to feel your mouth again."

I open my mouth and we both lean towards each other, with Edward's hands still keeping my arms immobile. I swallow his tip, sucking hard as I swirl my tongue around the top. "Deeper, Bella. Can you go deeper?" Edward groans out.

I'm so turned on. He's brought me so close to orgasm but not pushed me over the edge. I want us both to get over that precipice. I relax my throat and take him in deeper, bobbing my head up and down his shaft. I don't have a strong gag reflex, but I'm no deep throat. Edward's big, and I want control of my arms to wrap my fingers around the length of him. I pull my head back and look up at him, pulling my arms free in the process.

"Edward," I say while wrapping my right hand around his cock and massaging his balls with my other hand, "lay down on the floor," I command as release my hands.

Surprisingly, he does as I've asked. I've never done this before, but Edward makes me feel adventurous. I want to do things I've read about in Cosmo, and I don't feel silly for trying. I slide down to the floor, crawling over his face and looking at his erection. "Touch yourself," I say. I palm my breasts as Edward starts stroking his cock with his left hand. His right hand wraps around my thigh, and he pulls me down towards his mouth. I feel his tongue reach up and stroke between my legs, then plunge inside. Edward's thrusts on his cock get firmer and faster.

"Shit," he groans. "Bella, I need to know - do you want to use a condom? Because I intend to fuck you. Hard."

"No, it's OK," I pant. I've already thought about this. We talked about how he was tested for the insurance coverage when he took over for his dad. We're both clean, and there's no risk of pregnancy.

Edward stops what he's doing, grabs my hips, and scoots up and behind me. "On your knees, sweetheart," he growls out. I'm already on my knees, but I know what he wants so drop my arms to the floor and look back at him. Edward palms my ass and reaches around to my clit with his other hand. Finally! I'm so wet, and so turned on, my orgasm starts almost immediately. He slams into me from behind, rubbing my clit while he slides in and out in a hard rhythm. "Shit, shit, shit," he says. He pulls his hand away to grab both my hips for leverage, but my body has already begun to shake as I erupt forcefully and cry out through his rapid-fire thrusts.

"Oh my god, oh god, oh god," I scream. Edward slows his rhythm, then pulls out completely and climbs onto the edge of the couch. He's still erect.

"Come here, beautiful." I crawl onto his lap, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He positions me on top of him, and starts a slow grind.

"How do you do that?" I ask in disbelief. This is so unlike my other sexual experiences.

"Do what?" Edward grunts while continuing his grinding, using both hands on my ass to keep our slow rhythm going.

"Edward, you're like some kind of sexual superman. I don't have much to compare this to, but... shit, shit, shit...I pause as another orgasm starts to tear through me...shit, so good. Just keep doing that. I can't believe you're still hard. Oh god."

Edward increases the pace, then brings his hand between us to rub my clit again. It's enough to make me scream out, and this time Edward comes with me. In all my experiences, I've had a simultaneous orgasm exactly one other time.

Afterwards, we cling to each other like monkeys, my legs and arms still wrapped around him and Edward's arms cradling me. He slides them from around my back to frame my face with his hands, pulling my face towards his for a deep kiss. He's still inside me, but softening. I don't want to move, because the feeling of being this close to him is wonderful. "Just stay like this for a bit?" I ask.

"Bella, being inside you is one of my favorite places. I've turned into an 18-year-old boy again. I want so much more with you than just sex, but I'd be lying if I told you it isn't often on my mind." He kisses me sweetly, pecking my lips, my nose, my eyelids. He kisses me on my neck, then whispers into my ear, "Bella, just so you know, this wasn't just a booty call."

I laugh loudly, because that's exactly what it was and I don't care. "Edward, this was so too a booty call!"

"Yeah, OK. But honestly I just planned to give you an orgasm."

"What?! Edward, are you still obsessing about Thursday morning?!"

"No. Maybe. Anyway, it worked out pretty well for both of us," he smirks at me.

* * *

**A/N** - What do you think?


	33. Chapter 33

Edward spends the night even though I need to wake early for my all-day tour. I have the Mount Rainier itinerary - probably my least favorite. The park is beautiful, but the drive is long and the roads are windy. I always carry several packs of motion sickness prevention wristbands with me. Inevitably someone starts to feel queasy.

We set the alarm for 6:00 am and fall asleep in each other's arms. In the morning, I take my shower first, and then dress while Edward takes his shower. I don't need to leave from my apartment until 7:45, so I have a little time to make breakfast and visit with Edward in the morning.

"Hey, what are we doing for our date tonight?" I ask after swallowing a mouthful of scrambled eggs."Where are we going and how should I dress?"

"It's a surprise. But dress warm - we'll be outside."

Edward is picking me up at 5:30 pm, which is only 30 minutes after I get home tonight so I pout at his lack of information. I like to be prepared.

"Can't you give me any clues?"

"Nope. Just dress warm and casual, Bella. Trust me, sweetheart, you'll have a good time."

"OK, but for the record, this means I get to plan a surprise date for you."

"Ah, well that works in my favor," he smiles. "I love surprises."

"Arghhhh," I grumble. Edward stands from the dining room table with his utensils and plate and kisses my forehead on the way to the kitchen sink. He heads into the living room and begins to straighten the cushions on my couch. "You know," I say as I watch him at the scene of yesterday evening's activities, "that was some booty call last night."

"It's not a booty call if the person sleeps over," Edward clarifies.

"Oh really? What is that, some bro-code interpretation?"

"What?!" Edward barks out laugh. "What bro-code?"

"You know - whatever odd logic guys use to justify their actions. Which, I might add, in this case I have no problem with. I liked your booty call very much. I had a _very_ good time."

"It wasn't a booty call," Edward insists. "I had fun too. What time is it. We can practice some more," he adds while starting to pull his t-shirt over his head.

"As much as I love watching you disrobe, I don't have time. I work for your family's company, remember, and I have to lead a group of tourists who do not like waiting."

"Damn. I forgot," Edward smirks as he lowers his shirt.

He's moved on to examining my bookshelf, squatting to review the lower shelves. "Are these your old college textbooks, Bella?"

"Yeah, some of them anyway."

"You studied education?"

"Yep. Certified elementary teacher," I say pointing at myself. "During the slow tour months, I usually take a few substitute teaching assignments. Carlisle's always been great about letting me have the time off for that. I guess I'll need to come to you with those requests now."

"Bella, I'll support you in anything you want to do. I'd love to hear more about your teaching experiences. Maybe you'll tell me about it tonight." Edward glances at the clock, which now reads 7:30. "Are you ready to go? I can drop you at the office on my way home."

"What if someone sees you dropping me off?" I ask.

"I wouldn't worry about it. The only risk is Sam, and I can't see him thinking anything unkind, or even suspicious." Edward has a point. Sam is my driver today. He's a retired Seattle school bus driver who only works for us on the weekends.

"Come on, let's swing by Starbuck's on the way," Edward suggests. "If Sam says anything, you can tell him we ran into each other while getting coffee."

* * *

**A/N** - Please let me know what you think.


	34. Chapter 34

"Have a good evening, Bella," Sam says as we part ways in the Seattle Adventures parking lot.

Our trip to Rainier was pleasant, and as usual the guests fell in love with 'Grampa Sam.' His playful banter with me during my commentary makes the trip fun for me and the guests. Plus, he shares great stories about coming to the park when he was a kid, and a terrific account of experiencing the Mount Saint Helens eruption first-hand while living in Yakima, which bore the brunt of the ash cloud after the explosion. One of our stops has a view to the volcano where I always get Sam to share his story. Tour guests eat it up, and it gives them a break from hearing me all day.

"They loved you as always, Sam. See you in two weeks." I wave as I walk in the direction of my apartment.

Edward is waiting outside my building when I arrive. "This is a pleasant surprise," I say with a big grin as I snake my arms around his neck for a hug and a kiss. "I thought you weren't coming over until 5:30."

"I know. I finished what I had to do and decided to head over early. I don't mind waiting. We're not in a huge rush. We should just be on our way by about 5:45."

"What did you have to do?" I ask.

"You'll see. It's in the trunk of the car," Edward says cryptically.

Once inside my apartment, I head to my bedroom to change clothes. Edward follows behind me, kissing my neck and tickling my waist as I walk down my hall. "Hey, stop that," I laugh. Do you want me to get changed or not?"

"I want you to undress, yes." Edward says, pulling the tails of my blouse out of my slacks and unbuttoning and unzipping my pants as we awkwardly walk into my bedroom together.

"Edward, it's almost 5:15. That means I have only 30 minutes to hop in the shower and scrub the grime of the bus tour off me."

"Fine," he says in a mock huff. "I'll just wait here." Edward flops on my bed and lays with his arms behind his head, ogling me as I finish undressing. I shimmy down to my underwear, step into the bathroom, then purposely stretch my arm back into my bedroom to drop my bra and panties to the floor.

My shower is quick because I don't wash my hair, but it's enough to feel clean and refreshed from the long day. I put on lotion and a light coat of make-up. I still don't know what we're doing but it's unlikely to include a fancy restaurant given the clothing advice Edward gave me this morning. When I step into the bedroom wrapped in my towel, Edward's eyes are closed and he seems to be resting.

I riffle through my drawers to pull out clean black underwear, which I pull up under my towel. With my back to Edward, I pull on a dark grey camisole with a built-in bra and let the towel drop to the ground. Obviously he's seen me in less, but it feels awkward to dress in front of him.

"Hey," Edward says softly and I turn to face him. "Feel refreshed?" he asks gently and with a smile.

"Yes, thank you. I'll just be a minute. What should I wear? You said 'comfortable clothes' this morning. Will jeans work?"

"Sure, jeans are fine, and they'll match what I'm wearing. It'll be cold when the sun goes down, so wear layers or bring a sweater."

I pull on a pair of jeans and a black cashmere cardigan over my cami. When I sit on the bed to put on my socks and loafers, Edward sits up and joins me at the end of the bed. His arm snakes around my waist and he leans into my ear. "I kind of messed up with you yesterday," he says softly.

"What?! No you didn't." I try to imagine what he thinks he did or didn't do when we saw each other last night. "Edward, is this about my teasing you for the booty call? I already told you I loved it. You didn't mess up anything."

"No, that's not what I mean. Here, give me your wrist," he says as he pulls my hand in front of him. He reaches for something inside his shirt pocket - a delicate silver chain that he clasps around my wrist. When he's done, he turns my wrist around and adjusts the chain until a charm is resting on my pulse point.

"Happy one-week-and-one-day anniversary, Bella."

I gasp at him and look closely at my wrist. It's a charm of a ferry boat. "Edward...," I start with a lump forming in my throat.

"Shh," he begins. "Bella, last Friday was a very significant day for me. I finally had the guts to tell this incredible woman I've liked for a long time that I want to see more of her, that I want to experience adventures with her. We took a road trip the next day, and over those ten hours I learned she's even more amazing than I thought." He finishes with a smile and a sweet kiss to my lips.

I snake my arms around his neck and hug him tightly. "Thank you, Edward. I love that you did this, and I'll cherish my charm and every adventure we experience together."

After a moment Edward stands and pulls me to my feet. "Speaking of which, we need to get going."

* * *

**A/N** - So?


	35. Chapter 35

We're in Edward's car on the 520 bridge heading east over Lake Washington. "You still won't tell me where we're going?" I ask playing with the charm on my bracelet.

"OK, since you're so impatient, I'll tell you that we're going to Woodinville."

"Are we going wine tasting or something?" I ask puzzled.

"Not exactly. We'll probably taste some wine, though."

"Fine," I huff. "I give up. Just tell me when we get there."

Edward grabs my hand and squeezes it, then brings it to rest on his leg. "Patience, sweetheart."

My patience is finally rewarded when we pull into Chateau Ste. Michelle. There are hundreds of cars, and we snake our way to a parking spot. "Oh! We're going to a concert on the lawn! Oh, Edward, I love this! Who's playing tonight?"

"Bingo," he says with a smile. "It's Allison Krause. Do you know her?"

"Yes. She's fantastic. This is such a great idea! Thank you, Edward," I say with a huge grin.

Edward has packed two low-back lawn chairs, a blanket, and a backpack in the trunk of his car. He dons the backpack, swings the straps of the folded chairs over his shoulder, and grabs the blanket and my hand as we walk towards the entrance.

"I can carry something. Here, let me take the blanket, at least," I say as I grab it from his arm to lighten his load.

"OK, but only because now I can do this," he says while wrapping his free arm around my shoulder.

Chateau St. Michele dedicates space on their grounds to outdoor concerts. People bring their own food and low-back chairs, and can buy drinks at the winery. Tickets often sell out within days of going on sale at the start of Summer. "By the way, how did you get tickets?" I ask.

"Craigslist. Someone couldn't use theirs."

"I've never done this before but have always wanted to go. I love this setting."

We find a spot on the lawn for our chairs and picnic items. Edward opens the backpack and reveals a collection of ceramic plates, glass stemware, and silver utensils all neatly contained in their own compartments. From the center of the pack he pulls out what looks to be a wood cutting board. It unfolds to double in size and has short legs to keep the table surface off the ground. "Wow, this is great. Where did you find it?" I ask.

"It all belongs to my parents. I was over at their place earlier collecting what we need for tonight. The food is from the deli, though," Edward says as he begins placing various items on the table. "I'll go grab a bottle of wine. Would you prefer red or white?" Edward asks.

"Either. Whatever you think will go with the food."

He heads off in the direction of the wine tent while I unpack an assortment of cheeses, salami, crackers, apples, grapes, and two salads. There's also one large sandwich, a couple of single-serving potato chip bags, and a large brownie. We certainly won't starve.

The musicians come on stage as Edward returns with our wine. We settle in to enjoy an amazing evening of music and food. Half-way through the concert, we pack up the backpack and rearrange our chairs against each other, spreading the blanket over us to keep warm.

I lean into Edward who has one arm wrapped around my shoulder and the other pulled across my lap, under the blanket. His fingers are hooked into the waistband of my jeans, and his thumb rubs gently back and forth against my skin. There's nothing inappropriate about the position, even if the blanket weren't covering us, but it feels erotic to have his fingers on my skin when so many people are around.

Edward notices my labored breathing. His hand skims to my stomach, where he plays with my belly button. We both look down to confirm the blanket folds hide the movement. His fingers inch up my torso under my camisole, until he's palming my breast and circling my nipple with his thumb. The hand that's around my shoulder grabs the blanket to pull it further up my body, causing more gathering around my chest and better concealing his caresses. To anyone else, it would look like Edward is hugging me with both hands.

He leans into my ear and whispers, "I want to undress you right now. I wish my lips were on this nipple," he says as he pinches it between his thumb and forefinger. "If we weren't here, I'd unzip your pants, and push my hands into your wet pussy. Are you wet for me, sweetheart?" he asks in a low voice before biting my earlobe.

"Yes," I rasp, as my chest heaves and I feel my panties soak.

"I love how turned on you get. I'm so hard for hard for you. It's a little painful in these jeans." He kisses me on the mouth, wrestling his tongue with mine briefly before pulling away and staring into my eyes. "This is almost over. Do you want to stay until the end?"

"Let's go," I say emphatically. He pecks my lips and smooths his hand down to my hip.

"Just give me a minute," he smirks and sits back against his chair.

I stand and pack our items, giving Edward the blanket to rest in his lap where the bulge in his jeans is noticeable. I shoulder the backpack and my chair, then offer Edward a hand up. "Impatient?" he smirks.

"Yes," I say without shame.

* * *

**A/N - **I'm going to slow down my posting a little. I will try to do a minimum of one update every other day and not the 2 to 3 I've been posting. From the story stats, it looks like readers are falling off in the beginning chapters, so I'd like to work on fixing what might be the issue there (it's difficult because I don't have much feedback to go on). In the meantime, if you're reading this and enjoying it, or hating it, I would love to hear what you like or dislike about this fic. Thank you so, so, SO much to those who have been reading and reviewing.


	36. Chapter 36

In the car as we exit the winery, I reach my hand over the center console to rub Edward's thigh. He grabs my hand and pulls it to his groin, which I palm through his jeans. "I wish West Seattle weren't so far away," he says with a groan as I squeeze the bulge in his pants. Edward reaches down to unbutton and unzip his jeans, freeing his erection that pokes out from the hole in his boxers. I reach in to grab it with my hand, squeezing and stroking as best I can in the confined space. "Oh god, Bella. That feels amazing," he says as he looks down to his lap.

Suddenly he makes a sharp turn off the road into the parking lot of another winery's tasting room. He drives to the back of the building, where it's dark and deserted. Within moments, he's sliding his pants and boxers down his legs, and has pushed his seat all the way back. I lean over to take him in my mouth, sucking hard and running my tongue in circles over the tip. "Shit, Bella, so good, so good." I slide my head up and down his shaft, using my hand at the base to squeeze around the area that won't fit in my mouth.

Edward's hand stretches down my back, his fingers dipping into my jeans at my ass. I release my hands briefly to unbutton and unzip my own jeans creating slack for Edward's caresses, then bring my hands back to his cock. I squeeze his shaft again while reaching a hand down to his balls. When I tug down with my hand and suck hard with my mouth, Edward's hips rise up the from the seat. His hand grabs my ass and squeezes hard, his pinky pushing at the skin of my anus. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, Bella I'm coming," Edward says as I swallow his spurts quickly, avoiding the taste on my tongue as best as possible.

"Come here," Edward says as he pulls me to his mouth and kisses me hard, not seeming to mind that I taste like him. Our tongues wrestle and I'm still so turned on. After a moment, Edward uses his arms on my shoulder to gently urge me back in the passenger's seat. "Sit back, Bella," he says as he leans over me and pulls the lever that drops the front seat nearly flat against the back bench. He pushes the seat all the way back on the floor. "Sit up, sweetheart," he urges, then places his right leg behind me and slides his body underneath me and into the seat.

I toe off my shoes and socks while Edward puts his hands into my jeans and panties and pushes them down my legs. One of Edward's hands slides up my chest, pushing my sweater and cami up high so he can palm my breast. We're now both naked from the waist down, and Edward's semi-erect cock pushes against my ass. He runs his other hand up my leg, into my wetness and through my folds. "Oh Bella, you're dripping," he says as he pushes two fingers inside me. His thumb rubs over my clit, and that combined with his thumb at my nipple causes me to writhe on his lap. His cock hardens again to become fully erect and I grind against it. "Sit up, Bella," Edward says gently as he moves his hand from my breast to push my back up from his chest.

My hands grab the dashboard as my legs slide to the side of his. I rise up and push onto Edward's cock, while his fingers continue to stimulate my clit and rub my lips where we're joined. "Mmm, you always feel incredible," Edward moans. "Watch your head, sweetheart," he says as I start to rock back and forth. It's a little awkward in the car, and now that I'm sitting up I can see outside. There's a line of cars in the distance, making their way down the road that leads from Chateau Ste. Michele towards the freeway. Anyone could come back here, but I don't think they will. It's dark and the building is closed. There doesn't seem to be a need for security, though I can't be sure.

"Fuck, Bella. Can you go faster?" Edward grunts as his fingers of one hand curl around my hip. I grip the dashboard harder, and increase my rhythm, which in this confined space is more like a grind. Edward flicks my clit furiously with his finger, and runs his other hand up to pinch my nipple.

My orgasm comes on fast, and long waves of spasms clench around Edward's cock. "Shit, yeah. Feels so good, Bella," Edward says as he continues to move me over his cock. When he slows our grinding, he positions the seatback upright again. Edward is still inside me and still erect. He reaches the door handle and opens it, a rush of cold air entering the cabin. "Bella, step outside," he says softly while rubbing my shoulders.

I do as asked, and Edward joins me outside the car. We're between the car and the building, less visible on this side of the vehicle from the distant road if someone were to make sense of our shadows. Edward shuts the passenger door and leans me against it. His hand wraps around my neck, cradling my head as he passionately kisses me and grabs my ass with his other hand. Suddenly I'm hoisted up to his waist with both hands on my ass. Using the leverage of the car door, Edward slams his cock inside me. The glass window feels cool against my back through my sweater while Edward torso warms my front as he thrusts hard and quick. I wrap my legs around his back, pressing my foot into his ass. He's grinding against my clit with each thrust, and again I feel an orgasm take root. My neck arches and Edward leans forward to kiss it. "Another one, Bella? Can you come again?"

"Yes," I pant. "Keep doing that, yeah, right there," I say as I grind against each of his thrusts. "Ahhh, feels so good."

"Come on, Bella. Let go," Edward rasps out as he starts to thrust erratically. The fingertips of his right hand push into the crease of my ass, his index finger pressing against my anus. As he pushes into it slightly, I come with a powerful orgasm and stifle a scream in his shoulder. Edward thrusts hard and stills, pushing me back against the door with his weight. Our breathing is labored as we come down from our highs, but a big grin spreads across my face.

I drop my legs to the ground, and Edward turns on shaky legs and collapses his back against the door, obviously worn out from his athleticism. "That was some feat, Edward." I say with admiration. "I can't believe you can support my weight."

"Hah, you're feather light. But, yeah, wall sex is tiring," he smirks.

"Or car-door sex, in our case," I smirk back. "We should get back inside. I'm a little worried someone will discover us back here."


	37. Chapter 37

We use napkins from the backpack to clean up and make the ride home less sticky. On our way back to Seattle, Edward asks if I'd like to spend the night with him, making it clear he doesn't expect it. "I don't have anything planned tomorrow," he says. "Just laundry and errands."

"Me too - Sundays are usually quiet for me. But Edward, I don't have anything to change into at your house," I say, knowing that I won't want to put my panties on again in the morning.

"We could throw your stuff in the wash tonight," he suggests. It's a good idea, and since I'm not ready to say goodnight to Edward I agree we should spend it together at his place.

When we arrive at Edward's condo, we clean the backpack of food but leave the rest of our items for the morning. He does start a load of laundry, though, throwing in everything except my cashmere sweater while I wear one of his t-shirts that hangs to mid-thigh. Edward grabs my hand and pulls me into the bathroom. "Do you want to soak in a bath?" he asks.

"If you'll join me."

He fills the tub and adds some bath salts to the water, making the room smell like lavender. "My mom stocked these in the guest bath," he explains. Edward pulls his clothes off and then lifts the t-shirt over my head. "Bella, you are so beautiful. I love your body and how responsive you are. But more than that, I love how adventurous you are. You make me feel so alive."

I blush at his words, and then remember something my mom once told me when she married Phil - that men like to know they're attractive, too. "You're beautiful, too, Edward. Inside and out. And you're an amazing lover," I say affectionately as I step forward to kiss his lips sweetly. Despite our words, the moment is not erotic. We're both tired from our earlier activities. I love telling him these things, and hearing them from him, when there's no chance the words will be interpreted as merely foreplay.

We step into the tub, me sitting between Edward's legs and leaning against his chest. "How do your legs feel?" I ask while rubbing up and down his thighs.

"Relaxed," he laughs, knowing I'm referring to the workout they received earlier. Edward wraps me in his arms, and I lay my head back against his shoulder, resting my hands on his forearms.

"Where have you done substitute teaching, Bella?"

"Mostly for two public schools in West Seattle where I've gotten to know the principals."

"How did you end up as a tour guide? Did you decide not to become a full-time teacher after college?"

"Not exactly. In college I worked for Holland America during the summer, handling shore-excursion check-ins for the Alaska cruise ship passengers. That's how I met Carlisle. He would do tours when he was short-staffed, so we'd see each other down at the terminal. Carlisle suggested that I should give being a tour guide a try. He offered to train me on one of his excursions. It was fun, and it helped my confidence as a teacher because talking in front of a tour group is similar to delivering instruction to students.

"I started helping him out during my senior year of college. It was just fill-in work whenever Carlisle needed extra help. That Spring I did my student teaching at a Catholic elementary school on Capital Hill. Allie and I were living off campus a few blocks away, which worked out great because I could walk to my student teaching. The school offered me a full-time position starting in September. Their enrollment was up and they had the space to add another third-grade class. I was thrilled to get the job."

"What happened?" Edward asks.

"Nothing and everything. My first-year teaching experience was great." I sigh as I think about whether to tell him now about Jacob. I clutch his arms that still surround me, and he gets the hint to hug me tighter. I breathe deeply and take the plunge. "But other things that year were challenging...things with Jacob."

* * *

**A/N - **Please tell me what you think.


	38. Chapter 38

I'm quiet for a moment while I try to figure out how to start this story. Edward doesn't prod, no doubt understanding that I need to collect my thoughts.

"Jake was my high school boyfriend. Our dads were fishing buddies, so I'd known him for a long time. I suppose we grew up together during the summers I spent in Forks. He's a year younger than me, but by ninth grade he'd grown tall and muscular, and often got mistaken for being much older than either of us. We started dating during my junior year in high school. Our relationship started slow and honestly stayed innocent while we were in Forks. We stayed together during the year we spent apart, too, while I was a freshman at UDub.

"When Jake got a scholarship to Seattle University, it seemed fated that our relationship should continue full-swing in the city. I was fairly naïve then - I hadn't wanted to have sex when either of us were in high school. His move to Seattle seemed like a sign, and I suppose it's expected that we'd sleep together after being with each other for two years. So, yeah, he was my first, and my last before you."

Edward's arms relax a bit. "So you stayed together though college?" he asks, knowing that the last time I slept with Jake was at the end of school.

"Yes, well actually until Jake got out of school. He finished in three and a half years. We split up after he graduated in December, when I was in the middle of my first year of teaching."

Edward tightens one arm on my torso, then rubs his hand over my upper arm. "What happened?" he asks.

"Well, to make a long story short, we'd been planning our life together. We'd gotten engaged when I graduated in June." Edward sucks in a breath hard through his nose, and I feel his chest rise against my back. I need to plough through this story, to get it out so we can move on.

"Right after our engagement, Jake left for a study-abroad program in Brazil. His major was engineering, and the law school offered an eight-week intensive environmental law program in Rio de Janeiro. The program counted towards more undergraduate credits than Jake could have earned during the same time in Seattle, and he was trying to finish school early. It was unusual that he even got accepted, so I was really proud of him and supportive of the trip. After Jake came back from Brazil he was distant. I knew he was focused on finishing his degree, so I tried not to think too much of it. And anyway, I was busy figuring out my first year as a third-grade teacher."

I pause because I'm not sure I should tell Edward that Jake and I didn't have sex again after he came back from Rio. Would I want to know that if it had happened between Edward and Maggie?

"Officially, we stayed together through Jake's final semester. But we were different, not as close. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, and cried myself to sleep a lot that Fall.

"Meanwhile, all Allie had ever wanted to do was travel. She got selected for the Alaska Airlines flight attendant program that summer and met Jasper almost immediately. They were head over heels from the moment they began dating, and between Allie's work schedule and new relationship, I hardly saw her. The few times we'd see each other at our apartment, she was in too good a mood for me to want to bring her down with my sad story."

"Bella, I'm sure Allie would have been there for you. It's obvious she's a good friend to you."

"I know. I think I didn't want to admit there was a problem," I say with a sigh. "Anyway, the school kids kept me sane. I loved teaching. It didn't pay very well - I think I made less at the Catholic school than I had giving tours and assisting cruise passengers with their shore excursions. But I felt fulfilled in my work, and I didn't need much money since I was still sharing my apartment with Allie. I was waiting for Jake to graduate. My plan was to look for a better-paying job in a public school once it was confirmed where we'd live. Jake had a strong chance of getting a job outside the area and before Rio we had talked about the possible places we might move."

"What happened between you and Jake," Edward prods gently.

"He did get a job elsewhere. An environmental engineering company in Austin offered him a great position. Jake broke the news to me just before his December graduation ceremony, when our dads were both in the audience waiting for me to sit with them. I remember hugging Jake tightly, so happy for him that he got the job offer and hopeful that we could move forward again. He pulled my arms from around his torso and told me we needed to talk. I think I knew what was coming before he said it."

Edward hugs me tighter again, rubbing his hands over my arms and shoulders. "I'm sure that hurt. I'm sorry you went through that. Maybe it's fate, though. If you and Jake had ended up together, we wouldn't have had the chance to get to know one another. I suppose that's just me being selfish, though."

"No, you're right, Edward. I like that thought."

After a pause I start again. "The truth is, when Jake and I split I mostly mourned the loss of my plans. We were going to get married, embark on our careers, and start a family. For nearly six years I had been forming that plan. You told me the other day that it hurt when Maggie broke up with you. I think it was the same with me - when Jake and I split, I felt rejected, uncertain about my future, and embarrassed. Later, the sting deepened when I learned that Jake had met someone in Rio. "

"My instinct is to hate this guy for what he did to you," Edward confesses, "but on the other hand I'm so grateful you didn't end up with him."

"I don't wish him any ill will, Edward. I've gotten over all that. Our split made me realize we weren't right for one another - I missed my plans, not Jake. That's hardly the mark of someone in love."

"How did you learn about the person he met in Rio?"

"Oh, my dad sometimes gives me updates. Apparently, she moved to Texas when Jake located there. I think they're still together. My dad's not the most obvious person in the world. When he brings up Jake, I usually change the subject. Jake is my past and I don't want to dwell on my past."

The bath water has turned tepid so we climb out of the tub. I wrap a towel around Edward's torso when he steps out after me. We hug for a moment before Edward gently pushes my shoulders so I'll step back.

"Let's go to bed, Bella." He leans down and places a kiss on my lips. "Hang on a minute. I'll grab something for you."

Edward leaves me in his bathroom and appears a couple of minutes later while I'm towel drying my hair. He puts a new toothbrush in the holder on his countertop. "You can have that one," he smiles at me before brushing his teeth with his own toothbrush. It makes me a little giddy that I have my own toothbrush at Edward's place. As I reach for it, my charm knocks against the countertop and I'm reminded that we've been together for only a week and a day. Should I be concerned that I already have a toothbrush here? Butterflies form in my stomach, though perhaps not the good kind. I decide not to think about it and push the nerves out of my mind.

* * *

**A/N** - Thank you to those who have been reviewing. I love reading your feedback. This fic doesn't seem to be pulling in any new readers, and more than half the people who read the first chapter don't move forward. If you have any ideas what I could do to make the entrance more engaging, I would love to hear your thoughts either through a PM or a review.


	39. Chapter 39

"Hey sleepy head," Edward says as I open my eyes. I'm twisted in the sheets, hugging a pillow and facing Edward who lays on his side. Edward pushes a lock of hair behind my ear as he gently says, "You talked in your sleep last night."

"Really? What did I say?" I ask with embarassment.

"It didn't make much sense. You complained about having no bacon, and called out Allie's name a couple of times."

"I don't remember anything I dreamed. At least it wasn't very embarrassing."

Edward leans over to kiss my nose. He asks if I want to go out for breakfast or eat at his place. It's only then that I notice he's laying on the bed fully dressed and clean-shaven.

"Did you get a shower already? What time is it?" I ask.

"Yeah, I woke up at 7:00 and couldn't sleep. Normally I'd play the piano, but I didn't want to wake you because you had such a restless night. It's 8:30, so it's still early."

"Wow, that's late for me. I can't believe I slept so long. I feel great, though," I say as I stretch my arms above my head and shake the covers off my legs. "Your bed is so comfortable."

Edward smiles at my comment and squeezes my hand. I remember he's waiting for an answer about breakfast. "We can go out if you'd like. I'll have to wait until my clothes dry, though. They were only put in the washing machine last night."

"I threw them in the dryer this morning," Edward explains. "Should be done in another 10 minutes. Why don't you take a shower and I'll leave them in the bathroom when they're done."

We both sit up and Edward stands to leave the room. I grab his hand as I say, "Edward, hang on a sec." On my knees on the bed, I pull him into my arms and give him a hug, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Hey, sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing's wrong. I just want you to know how much I appreciate you. Thank you for being so kind and thoughtful. I loved the charm bracelet and our date last night, and the bath."

"Bella, what's this about? Hey," he says as he pulls my chin up with his thumb and forefinger, "...you're worth it. I had the most ridiculous grin on my face all morning knowing that I get to see you wake up and spend the morning with you."

I reach up and kiss him, squeezing my arms tighter around his torso. He squeezes back, then smooths his hands down my back and arms, pulling them out front. "Come on, sweetheart," Edward says as he helps me rise from the bed. "Get a shower and then we'll figure out breakfast plans."

Edward leaves me both my clean clothes and a dryer-warmed towel. I'm dressed and combing my fingers through my still-damp hair when I hear my phone ring in the other room. Edward pops into the bathroom with my phone, asking if I'd like to answer it. "Looks like it's Allie," he says as he hands off my phone, which is flashing her name.

"Hello?"

"Bella, you're up. I was starting to get worried that I'd woken you, but I know you never sleep this late. Hey, Jasper and I want to invite you to brunch so don't eat breakfast. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"Hi Allie. Nice to talk with you, too."

"Sorry. Yes, hello Bella. How are you? How was your week? Do you want to go out for brunch or not? I want an update on Mr Suave and Beautiful."

Allie's loud, and Edward's been leaning against the bathroom counter since I took the call. He chuckles and raises one eyebrow at Allie's description.

"Um, things are good," I say with a smile at Edward. "Would you mind if Edward came along?"

"Bella Swan! Are you doing the walk of shame this morning?"

"What? No! Alice, I'm dressed in perfectly clean clothes, thank you very much." I can tell Edward's having a hard time keeping his laughter from being audible. "Listen, why don't I check with Edward and then I'll call you back. But let's assume it's the four of us for brunch. Where do you have in mind?"

"I want seafood. Let's go to Salty's."

"OK. Call them and make a reservation. I'll call you back after I talk with Edward."


	40. Chapter 40

Brunch turns out to be a long and relaxing affair. I have three Bloody Mary's, making me both talkative and turned on. I squeeze Edward's knee under the table, sliding my hand up and down his thigh. He keeps grabbing my hand when I get too close to his groin, putting it back on my lap and squeezing my fingers to signal that they should stay put. Allie is across from me, equally buzzed on Mimosas but definitely suspicious of our below-the-belt activities.

"Bella, these drinks have gone right through me. Come with me to the ladies so I can take a piss," Alice says bluntly.

I stumble out of my chair and lean into Edward as I rise. "I'll be right back," I say into his ear in what I'm certain is a sexy, throaty voice.

As we walk from the table, I hear Jasper exclaim, "Oh man, they're priceless."

I want to hear the rest of it, but Allie grabs my hand and pulls me towards the bathrooms. "Spill," she commands.

"I don't know what you want me to say," I answer as we enter the women's washroom and wait for a toilet. Truly, I'm confused.

"Have you slept with that man? Because the sexual tension is getting _me_ hot."

Geesh, is that all? In my horny state I have no problem confessing this.

"Allie, he takes my breath away. Like literally, I can't breathe around him sometimes. It's soooooo good," I slur.

"Shit, Bella. You're getting laid!" Allie exclaims as an elderly woman exits the stall and I look at her sheepishly. I slink into the stall to avoid the stares.

When we're finished, Allie corners me on the way back to our table. "Bella, you should come to Alderbrook with us! We're going next weekend and I know for a fact that it's your weekend off. The hotel still had vacancies when I called yesterday evening because a wedding got cancelled at the last minute. I'm going to tell the guys my brilliant idea. Come on, let's head back to our beautiful men," she says as she grabs my wrist and pulls me along. It's not like I wasn't going to walk back with her!

"Allie, wait. What if this is too new for that. We just started seeing each other last weekend. Edward might think it's too soon to have an overnight getaway. Please don't bring it up," I call after her.

"Nonsense," she says as we reach the table.

"Bring up what?" Jasper asks as he finishes signing his credit card bill for our brunch.

"Jasper, I've decided that Bella and Edward should come on vacation with us. We won't take no for an answer."

"Where and when are you going?" Edward asks.

"Alderbrook. Next weekend. You're coming," Alice insists.

"Alice..." Jasper warns.

"No, it's OK. Jasper, if it's all right with you, I think that's an excellent idea," Edward says while pulling out his phone.

He finds the resort number and begins dialing while pulling me down onto his lap. "You're OK with this?" he confirms with me as the call goes through.

I nod and smile, and Edward secures us a two-night reservation for next Friday and Saturday. When he's done, he puts his hand on my lap wrapping his fingers around my upper thigh. He drapes one hand over the other, and the thumb of his lower hand pushes in between my thighs, rubbing the seam of my jeans over my clit.

"We should get going," I say. "I've got errands to complete before it gets too late."

Edward rubs his thumb harder against the seam, still concealed by his overlapping hand. "Yep, me too. Alice and Jasper, thanks so much for including me. Next time we should get together at my place. I'd love to have you over. Bella's agreed to host with me if you'll come for a visit."

"Definitely," Alice grins. Jasper grabs her hand and heads in the direction of the door. I rise from Edward's lap, and he palms my ass as we walk behind Alice. Outside the restaurant, we hug Jasper and Alice goodbye with plans to coordinate our trip later in the week.

In the car, Edward puts his hand on my leg, squeezing and sliding it up near the apex of my legs until his pinky rubs along the seam of my jeans. I spread my legs encouraging his movements. Instead, he pulls his hand away before peeling out of the parking lot. I look over to his fingers on the six and nine positions of the steering wheel, noticing they're clenched tightly and white knuckled.

* * *

**A/N **- Hmm, some good stuff to come? Please tell me what you think.

In the U.S. we have a public holiday on Monday and I will be on vacation for a few days before that. I will try to post one more chapter before I lose access to the internet. This holiday tends to mark the end of summer, so it only seems appropriate to leave you with some citrus.


	41. Chapter 41

Edward is silent in the car as we make our way down the beach from the restaurant. We pass his condo, and Edward gets visibly frustrated with the traffic that piles up near the swimming beach.

"Edward, where are we going?"

"To my parents house," he says tightly.

"Is everything OK?" I ask.

"Not exactly," Edward says. I'm worried I did something wrong, so I sit quietly and practice patience.

Edward's parents also live in West Seattle, near the ferry that runs to Vashon Island. Their home is on the water, tucked in tightly against the coast. While it's a large single-family home, from the street it has the appearance of a row house because every available inch of land has been used for buildings. Through a gate, a narrow path leads between their house and the one next door. Edward grips my hand firmly as we walk a sloping trail to the back, down to a lower level where's there's a large patio and a small private beach.

"My key opens the back door," he explains.

When we arrive at the door, he tucks me into his side while opening the lock. Once inside, the door slams shut and I'm pushed suddenly against it. Edward drops instantly to his knees, unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans.

"Jesus fucking christ, Bella. I'm so worked up for you. Take these off, please," he pleads as he pushes my jeans and panties down my legs.

Oh, Oh! This was what was bothering him. I'm still a little buzzed, so it doesn't take long for my earlier horniness to return. I toe off my shoes and hop out of my jeans. I also pull off my sweater and camisole. It feels so decadent to be standing naked in Carlilse's house. I can't imagine what he'd think if he learned about this.

Edward's phone rings just as he pushes his face in between my legs. "Ignore it," I plead.

"Fuck yeah. It's my dad's ring tone, anyway. There's no way in hell I'm taking that call right now," he says.

Holy shit! I grab Edward's head as he grabs my right leg and pushes it over his shoulder. He runs his tongue in a long lick up to my clit, circling it and then sucking it between his lips.

"Edward," I plead. "Please. Oh god. Get undressed. I want to feel your cock inside me."

Edward stands and my hands are all over him, pulling his shirt over his head, helping him push down his pants. The basement is a rec space, with a large flat-screen television, an L-shaped couch in the corner, and a pool table in the back near the staircase. The last time I was here was during the Christmas party when Rose and I did crafts with the kids. Once Edward is naked, he pulls me to him and kisses me deeply, his right hand angling my head. His left hand hoists me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he begins walking to the pool table, where I'm plopped down on the top.

"Bella, you're fulfilling a high school fantasy of mine," Edward says as he pushes my legs wide and strokes his fingers through my lower lips. I arch my back and Edward leans down to kiss my chest, licking around my nipple before sucking it hard. "I've never done anything close to this in my parents' house," he rasps as he pulls away, pumping two fingers into me and curling them to hit just_ that_ spot.

"Holy shit, Edward. Just fuck me already," I command. He is already lined up with me, so when he pulls out his fingers and grabs my ass, I take hold of his cock and rub him over my clit. I position him at my entrance and lift my ass off the table, arching into him. Edward meets my thrust and slams to the hilt, stilling when our pubic bones hit one another.

"Fuck, Bella. Are you ready, sweetheart?" he asks. Edward waits to see me nod my head before pistoning hard and fast into me. My clit isn't stimulated in this position, and I know I need that to come.

I reach my hand down, making my middle and forefinger into a V because I want to feel his hard length slide through my hand. My palm is pushed against my clit with each of his thrusts. He looks down to where we're joined, then stares into my eyes with a fire I haven't seen before. His mouth suddenly devours mine, slowing his thrusts but changing the angle slightly so that he grinds more against my hand that rubs against my clit. With one hand on my ass, he slides the other up my body until he's palming my breast and moving his mouth from my lips to my neck just below my ear. I both feel and hear his ragged breathing at my ear before his tongue dips inside and he rasps a breathy moan. "Bella, I can't last. Do you have any idea how much I wanted to drag you from that restaurant and fuck you in my car? Not to mention that after last night I will _never_ look at my car the same way again. You're amazing, Bella. Shit, shit, shit. Come on, Bella. I can't hold on."

Hearing Edward come undone is enough. I climax silently with an arch of my back as I pull my hands back and use them for leverage against the pool table. Edward isn't so quiet. He lets out a gutteral scream that must surely be audible outside the house.

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**A/N **- That's it for a few days due to a short vacation. Love to hear what you think!


	42. Chapter 42

We're in the kitchen, each taking huge gulps of water. I have on my underwear and camisole, and Edward's put on his t-shirt and boxers. "So, you never did anything here with Kate?" I ask.

"No way. It was always at her house. My mom likes to hover. I appreciate her interest in my life now. Back then, not so much."

"I'm glad I could be the first, then," I smirk at him.

"So am I. You're the first for a lot of things, Bella," he says softly.

"Oh really? Like what?" I am very curious about this.

"Car sex. Public groping. My constant need to touch you. The way you're always on my mind," he finishes nervously, like he's afraid he's said too much.

"I can't stop thinking about you either, Edward," I assure him. After a pause, I grab his hand and ask, "Do you ever worry that we're going too fast? I don't have much experience with this. I don't know the signs of a couple that will crash and burn, but I don't want that to be us." What I really wonder is whether it's too soon to be in love with him.

"Do you worry about that, Bella? Because honestly, I don't. You know that I don't have extensive experience either. But I do know that I don't want to see less of you, or stop feeling this strongly for you. I think we should go with our guts. If the situation with Rose and Em has taught me anything, it's that our relationship is whatever we define it to be, not what other people think it should be."

I set my glass on the counter and lean into Edward, hugging him around the waist. He puts his drink aside and hugs me back tightly, kissing my forehead and running his hand over the length of my hair from the crown of my head to the middle of my back.

"I love your hair," he says.

It's such a non sequitur that I laugh at the change in topic. "Edward, if anyone has great hair it's you. Women swoon over your sex hair, and I know from first-hand experience that it's very fun to run fingers through.

"You're crazy. It's just hair."

"Oh, Edward, you're clueless. You could be a GQ model. Your face is chiseled, your body is to die for, and I've already established that stylists would have orgasms over your hair. Seriously, people must look at us and say 'what's he doing with _her?'"_

"OK, now I know you're crazy. Clearly you don't see yourself as I do. Have you looked in the mirror, sweetheart?" In a whispered voice he continues, "Have you seen yourself naked? Have you ever seen how incredibly sexy you are when you're turned on, when you come?"

"I'm glad you think so," I say softly.

"I assure you, it's fact, not interpretation. I'm going to prove it to you. Come on," he says as he grabs my hand and pulls me past the living and dining rooms to the staircase that leads to the bedrooms.

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**A/N** - Unexpected internet access while on vacation, hence this surprise update. :-)


	43. Chapter 43

The upper floor includes four bedrooms, which Edward quickly describes as his parents room, Em's old room, the guest room, and Edward's old room - apparently our destination.

Edward's bedroom doesn't look anything like a high school boy's room. "My mom redecorated the second floor since I've lived here. But I still think of this as my room. The bed and furniture are the same, at least," he says.

The double bed is positioned in front of a large window that looks onto the street, with Em's room occupying the other half of the front of the house. Across from Edward's bed is a large, low dresser with an equally large mirror on top.

"Bella," Edward says as he grabs me around the waist and turns me to face the mirror, "You are beautiful."

He stands behind me, running his fingers down a lock of my hair that falls over my chest. His fingertips brush over my breast, and my chest rises as I breathe deeply. Edward pushes my hair behind my shoulders then caresses my collarbone. "Your skin is like porcelain, sweetheart, and it's so incredibly soft." My chest continues to heave as Edward's index finger runs back and forth along the top of my camisole. He brings his hands to my shoulder, slips his fingers into the straps, and pulls until my cami is bunched at my belly.

"Your breasts. I _love _your breasts. They feel perfect in my hands, and they're so responsive," he says as he cups my breast with his right hand and brushes his thumb over my pebbled nipple. The fingers of his left hand run up my neck to my chin, and then to my lips, which he runs over gently with one finger. "Your lips and mouth do the most amazing things. I love kissing these lips, and my god, Bella, what your mouth can do on my cock is beyond words," he says as he pushes his fingertip into my mouth while he slides his other hand from my breast to my belly.

Edward lifts my cami with both hands, telling me to raise my arms so he can pull the top over my head. I close my eyes and tilt my head to the side as his fingers brush over my neck. "Open your eyes, Bella. You need to see what I see." I do as he asks while he kisses my neck, then runs his hands around my waist, dipping his fingertips into the top of my panties.

"I bet you're wet for me, aren't you sweetheart?" I nod my head and Edward's fingers push my panties down to my upper thighs. Bella, your ass is perfect, he says as his hands move around to the back, out of my view in the mirror. He squeezes my cheeks with both hands, his pinkies dipping into my crease, pausing at my anus. "And I love this. I love that you're responsive here, sweetheart," he says lowly as one of his pinkies presses gently at my opening. I'm breathing hard, my chest heaving and my eyes wide.

"Look at yourself, Bella. You're exquisite." Edward's hands come back to my front, into my pubic hair and down my thighs. His thumbs lightly brush over my wetness. "Oh Bella, you're so wet. It's such a turn-on," he says as he pushes his erection against my back. I bring my hands behind me to his hips, sliding them up and down his outer thighs, then pushing his boxers down to just above his knees.

Edward pushes my panties all the way down my legs, bending at the knees until I can kick them off with my feet. He kicks off his own underwear in the process, and whips off his t-shirt when he stands. "Spread your legs, Bella. Look at your inner thighs, beautifully toned and glistening. God that's erotic. Eating your pussy is so satisfying, and sliding my dick in and out of you is so, so, _so_ fantastic. It's like all my nerves are in my cock just coming undone with you when we make love," Edward says as he pumps his middle finger inside me.

Put your arms on the dresser, Bella. Spread your legs wider. Can you see how incredibly sexy you are. Do you believe me now?"

"Shit, Edward. How do you do that? Your words, god, and your body, and, ughhh, fuck," I pant as he continues to pump his finger while now also using his other hand to rub my clit.

"Do you want me to make you come like this?" he asks as he pushes his fingers in deep and curls them, causing an orgasm to take root in my toes. "Or like this?" he asks as he moves his finger to rub my clit in fast circles, his fingers coated in my wetness. "Or like this?" he says as he brings a wet finger to my anus and pushes it slightly inside, making me clench around him before he says, "Shh, relax Bella. You'll love the feeling if you relax." He brings his other hand through my wetness, then uses that lubrication to run up and down my ass crease but no longer pushing inside. I relax and just feel. "Or like this, sweetheart," he says as he bends at the knees and uses his hand to place his cock just slightly into my pussy.

"Oh god, Edward. Any, all. Just make me come." I'm so desperate for release.

With that, Edward pushes his cock all the way into my pussy and I love the feeling of fullness.

"Keep your eyes open, Bella. Watch us in the mirror," Edward rasps. He slowly pushes in and out repeatedly, then brings his hand around my waist, sliding it down my belly to my clit. "Shit, god dammit Bella. So fucking good."

My orgasm is just over the edge, so when Edward begins a fast tapping rhythm with his finger on my clit, I explode and groan out my release. "Yes, that's it. Shit, I love feeling you come on my cock. Look Bella. See yourself come," Edward commands. He moves his hands to my hips and starts a punishing rhythm, fucking me hard and fast. I watch him in the mirror, his eyes meeting mine just before he closes them tightly and groans out his own release.

* * *

**A/N** - It's going to be a little citrusy for the next couple of chapters. If you're lucky in life, you will remember the beginning of an intense emotional and physical relationship when you couldn't get enough of your partner. That's where these two are in their relationship.


	44. Chapter 44

We clean up after ourselves at Edward's parents' house, leaving behind the chairs and picnic backpack, then head over to my apartment. My sweater is too warm to be comfortable during the heat of the day.

It's a beautiful mid-August afternoon, warm and sunny, and streaks of light dance across my bedroom. Edward sits on the end of my bed and watches me riffle through my clothes. I strip to my underwear, no longer feeling shy about Edward watching me change.

As I start to pull on my bra, Edward says, "I want you again, Bella. I can't look at your amazing breasts without getting turned on." I whip around to stare at him sitting three feet away, where he spreads his legs and palms his dick through his pants, his bulge evident. "Touch yourself. I've seen you do it before. Touch yourself, Bella."

Holy shit! This is hot. I'm instantly breathless and I drop my bra on the floor as I run a hand slowly up my torso to cup my breast. "Circle your nipple, sweetheart," Edward says as he unbuttons and unzips his jeans. He takes off his t-shirt and pushes his pants off his legs. "Now we match," he says as his hand dips into his boxers to grip his cock. I see him stroke it through the fabric and wetness coats my own underwear. "Put your other hand into your panties, Bella." I do as I'm told, dipping my fingers down to coat them in my wetness.

"Let me see. Come here, sweetheart," he says as he nods to my hand. I pull it out and walk to Edward, putting my wet fingers on his lips. He sucks them into his mouth while continuing to palm his dick. Edward's hands come out to slide my panties down my legs. His hard cock now pokes out above the waistband of his boxers, so I reach down to stroke it firmly. I drop to my knees, using my hands to pull down his boxers and push apart his knees so I can fit between them.

"Shit, yes," Edward says as I lick his tip and then suck him hard into my mouth. His hips rise up from the bed before he settles back and puts both hands in my hair, gently encouraging my mouth to take a slow rhythm on his cock. "Fuck, Bella. You give incredible head," he groans out. "So, so good."

I feel my wetness drip down my thighs with his praise. I enjoy doing this with Edward. In the past it's just been something I would do to reciprocate, to try to be a good and fair lover. With Edward, I want to make him feel this way, and doing so makes me turned on. I suck hard and massage his balls with my hand. Edward's hips rise off the mattress, and his fingers grip harder against my head.

"Come here, Bella. Up here." I make one more pass over his cock with my mouth, releasing him with a pop. Edward pulls me to standing, then grabs my upper thighs to pull me against him. He uses his hand under my knee to lift my right leg, placing my foot against him on the bed. Edward's head leans forward and he licks me gently before plunging his tongue into my pussy. I writhe against his face, grabbing his head to steady myself. When Edward pulls his face away, his chin is glistening. He rubs it over my pubic hair and places a kiss on my belly. I'm suddenly lifted at my waist and flipped onto the bed, my legs bent at the knee and Edward's shoulders pushing them apart. He crawls up between them, placing my foot on his shoulder. When he reaches my face, Edward leans down to kiss me, his tongue wrestling with my own. I can taste myself, something that always used to gross me out but with Edward seems erotic.

Pulling back to his knees, he slides his hand down to the ankle of my other leg, placing that foot also on a shoulder. With my knees bent sharply, Edward lines up his cock and pushes just slightly into my pussy. I want to feel full with him. "Edward, come inside, please," I plead.

"Have patience - I want to make this last with you." He pulls out again, then pushes all the way in but stills. "Fuck, that's so beautiful," he says as he stares down at where we're joined. "We need a mirror, sweetheart, so you can see what I see - me disappearing into you. I love to watch my cock slide in and out of your pussy," he says through two slow thrusts. "Touch yourself, Bella. Touch your clit."

I reach down to feel where we're joined instead. "Do you have any toys, Bella? Do you have a vibrator?"

My cheeks pink instantly. I don't know why I'm embarrassed about this. "Bella, sweetheart," Edward grunts as he thrusts, "Do you have something I can play with on you?"

"In my bedside table, in the drawer," I say. He pushes all the way inside me and reaches to the drawer, grabbing it easily and flicking it on and off, on and off again.

"Oh, Bella. We're going to have so much fun." Edward pulls out of my pussy and immediately plunges the vibrator inside.

* * *

**A/N - **I promise we will get back to moving this story forward. This Bella and Edward are currently exploring that "can't get enough of you" aspect of new romance.


	45. Chapter 45

I'm writhing on the bed while Edward plunges the vibrator inside in a slow and steady rhythm. He's on his side, alternating between flicking his tongue over my nipple and sucking it into his mouth. "Holy shit, Edward. It's never felt this good before," I say as my hips rise up from the mattress. Having Edward use the vibrator on me is nothing like my experiences alone with it. Edward flicks on the vibration and I come hard around the shaft. "Oh fuck, I'm coming, oh fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," I pant.

"I want to push this in your ass, Bella. I want to feel it vibrate inside you while I fuck your pussy," Edward whispers in my ear while turning off the vibration but continuing to pump in and out as I come down from my orgasm.

I'm sated but still turned on, though his comment has just made me nervous. "I don't know, Edward. I've never done anything like that."

"Shh, not today. We'd have to work up to it, sweetheart, and maybe with a different toy. I'll never do anything you don't want to do. But it's so fucking pleasurable, Bella. You'd love it, I promise."

I trust Edward because he's made me feel nothing but incredible. But still, I've never wanted to have anal sex. I'm not sure that I do now. He pulls out the vibrator and runs it up my belly, around my nipple. It's sticky from being inside me, but in this aroused state I don't care.

"Roll over, Bella. I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to do."

I do as I'm asked, but I'm still a little nervous. Edward puts the vibrator beside me, rises up on his knees, and places his legs on either side of mine. His hands glide up my back from my ass, ending at my shoulders where he massages gently. Suddenly he slides his hands down to my hips, lifts slightly, relaxes his legs against my legs, then pushes his dick into my pussy. He immediately pushes his legs back against my own. It's so tight like this, with his legs on the outside squeezing mine together. He grabs the vibrator and turns it on. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I won't push anything inside."

My head is turned to the side but I can't see anything he's doing. I just feel it, feel him run the vibrator up my leg to my hip, around my ass cheeks, and to my lower back. He runs it down the crease of my ass, passing my anus but not lingering. All the while, Edward doesn't move while inside me. Suddenly he pulls out and slams back in, pushing through both my clenched legs and my pussy. "Shit, this feels incredible," he says.

Edward turns off the vibrator and brings it around to my front, pushing it between me and the mattress until he's near my clit. "Is this OK, sweetheart? Are you nervous?" Edward asks.

"No. It's good, I say. Please move, Edward. I want to feel you move in me."

He begins a slow rhythm, gently pulling nearly all the way out and then pushing in hard. Each time he pushes, his cock presses briefly against that sensitive spot inside. "Ready sweetheart?" he asks.

"Yes," I pant, though I'm not sure what he's asking me. The vibrator is still between me and the mattress, and a little uncomfortable against my hip bone. Hearing my readiness, Edward switches it on, moving it until I groan loudly as it stimulates my clit. "Oh shit, fuck!" I shout, still so sensitive from my last orgasm. Edward pushes in hard and fast with his cock. He uses one hand to lift my hips off the mattress just slightly, then as my orgasm begins he uses his long fingers to push the tip of the vibrator against the tip of my clit. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," I scream. I spasm around his cock and Edward pulls back the vibrator from my front, using it to massage my ass cheeks. He dips it into my crease, and while he doesn't push into my anus, he leaves the vibrating tip just at the outside. "Holy shit. Fuck, that feels incredible," I groan still climaxing through my orgasm in long waves. Edward thrusts hard with his hips and stills, then flicks off the vibrator and tosses it on the bed before collapsing on top of me.

"Fuck, Bella. Sex with you is like nothing I've ever experienced. I want to do this all the time." Edward is still inside me, feeling heavy on my back. "Sorry sweetheart. I'm crushing you," he says as he slides to the side and his dick pulls out. I turn on my side and Edward pulls me into his arms, collapsing back against the mattress. "I need a nap," he laughs. "Are you OK?" he asks gently. "Was that OK?" He leans down to kiss my forehead, to pull my chin up with his hand and kiss my lips.

"Yes. You were wonderful. I'm just tired," I say as I wrap a knee over his thighs and hug his torso as I rest my head on his shoulder.

I hear and feel him kiss the top of my head. "Let's take a nap," he says with a yawn.

* * *

**A/N - **OK, perhaps we can move on now. :-) I'm a little nervous about this one. Please tell me what you think.


	46. Chapter 46

I'm starving when I wake. I untangle from Edward and crawl off the bed, leaving him to his nap. One of the errands I meant to do today is grocery shopping, so there isn't much in my refrigerator for lunch. I manage to pull together a couple of ham sandwiches and prepare a thinly sliced apple.

When I hear Edward yawn out a stretch in my bedroom, I walk down the hallway. He's laying there naked, smiling at me as I move to I sit beside him on the bed. I run my hand up his leg, then jump to his belly button and play with the hair there. Edward's stomach muscles clench and he sits up with a laugh.

"Ticklish," he says, brushing my hand away but grabbing me around the waist to peck my lips. "Wow, I feel so well rested."

"Hungry? I've made some sandwiches," I tell him. I have on my fluffy bathrobe and Edward slides his hands inside to my skin.

"Yes, famished" he says as his fingers run gently up and down the side of my torso. "I need to pop into the bathroom. I'll meet you in the kitchen," he says as he leans into my now-gaping bathrobe and kisses up my chest to my neck, just below my ear. His hand slides up to cup my breast, squeezing it as he bites my earlobe. "Thank you for earlier, sweetheart. I'm sorry if I've worn you out today."

"I loved it, Edward. I like when you wear me out," I smile at him. "Come on, we need sustenance," I say as I rise and offer him a hand up from the bed.

While I wait for Edward to join me at the dining room table, I consider our last couple of encounters. I'm nervous about what Edward wants to do. It seems so kinky, maybe even deviant. But Edward has always seemed so well-adjusted, so _normal_. Am I abnormal not to want to explore what he wants to do with me?

I'm not sure if I can talk with Allie about this, but I feel like I need to talk with someone. Are she and Jasper into anal sex? I remember when I moved to West Seattle and changed to a new gynecologist, I had to complete a form on my sexual activity. The questions included if I was sexually active and what types of sex I engaged in. Since I wasn't at the time, all the answers were no. How would I feel about answering yes to anal sex? Embarrassed, for sure, but maybe also guilty, like I was doing something I shouldn't? Why does this bother me so much?

"Bella?" Edward says loudly.

"Huh?"

"Hey, where'd you go, sweetheart? I asked if you wanted me to get you something to drink," he says from the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah, thanks. Can I have water, please?"

Edward carries two glasses of water to the table and sets them down near the plates I've arranged. He stands behind me and rubs my shoulders gently, leaning down to kiss my temple. "Looks great, Bella. I'm starving. Thank you for making this."

We eat the first half of our sandwiches silently, until I can't take it anymore. "Edward, can I ask about something? If you don't want to tell me, just say so."

"What would you like to know?"

I grab his hand and pull it across the table to play with his fingers. I'm reminded of when Edward did this to me on the ferry boat, only a week and a day ago. What I know now that I didn't know then!

"Well, I was wondering how you became so adventurous, sexually, I mean. Was it Maggie? Did you do all those things with Maggie?"

Edward blinks and stares at me. He rises from the table and grabs my hand. "Come on, let's sit on the couch to discuss this. I don't mind telling you, and it's nothing terrible, but I'd like to have you in my arms."

We sit on the couch with me leaning into Edward's side and his arm around my shoulder. "Maggie wasn't overly adventurous. Not the way you're thinking, anyway. It was Kate. I know that seems odd since we were only in high school, but remember that she ran with the wild crowd. Her parents had the book _The Joy of Sex_ and she'd sneak it out of their bedroom for our Saturday night activities. Those got even more adventurous during our last three months together when Kate convinced me to try mushrooms. One of her friends had an older sister at Western Washington University in Bellingham. One weekend Kate tagged along on a girls' weekend away and came home with a pile of toys. The girls had gone into a Lovers store, supposedly on a dare. Kate bought lubes, a few different vibrators including one for anal play, edible panties, and massage oils."

"Wow," I say. "I didn't have sex until my sophomore year of college. I can't imagine buying sex toys when I was still in high school. Even the vibrator I have today was a gift - a tongue-in-cheek good riddance gift from Allie when Jake and I broke up."

"Well, the truth is I was a little intimidated by all that stuff. I wasn't intimidated by the book, though. I _wanted _to try all those positions, and Kate was a more-than-willing partner. With the mushrooms, though, I lost some of my inhibitions. Eventually I got very comfortable with the toys. They can be a lot fun, Bella. And I'm only interested in using something for pleasure, never pain."

"So, the anal sex - that's something you did with Kate?"

"Yes."

"And you used a vibrator there, or you placed your penis inside?"

"Both"

"Oh...do you miss it? I mean, if I never wanted to do that, would it bother you?"

"Bella, I'll never want to do something you don't want. Well, I might want to do it, but only with a willing partner. And if that's not for you, it doesn't make me want anal sex instead of you. I want you, and I want you exclusively. Sex is something we do together because we want each other, right? I would hope the same is true for you - that you want to be with me, not just have sex with me."

I nod, because he has a good point. What if the roles were reversed? I wouldn't want to dump Edward just because he didn't want to explore something I wanted to try with him.

"I think you'd like it," Edward continues, "but if you're nervous or are adamant that you don't want to try, that's OK."

I let out an audible sigh.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry if I made you doubt that."

"I think I'm not ready yet, for anal sex of any kind. Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever be OK with it, but I will think about it. God," I sigh, exasperated with myself, "I sound like a prude! I don't want to be a prude."

"No, Bella, no no. It's not for everyone. I know that. Do you want to know about Maggie, or should I stop talking about it now?"

"I think I want to know," I say somewhat hesitantly. "No, I don't. Wait, yes I do."

"I'll keep it simple," he says. "I understand your uncertainty. I don't want to know these things about you and Jake. So, simply put, Maggie and I had pretty basic sex. Not even much oral. She wasn't into it."

"Really?!"

"Really."

"OK, thank you for telling me, I think."

"Can we change the subject now, or did you have more questions."

"No, that's it for now. What did you want to talk about."

* * *

**A/N** - So, we're not going there. Yet, at least, maybe never. But maybe. Hmm...


	47. Chapter 47

Edward heads to my bookcase and pulls out one of my college textbooks, thumbing through the pages. "What happened after your first year of teaching?" he asks.

"Yeah, that was a shitty time," I say with a sigh. I knew we'd get back to this eventually. This is an area of my life where I feel so inadequate around Edward. I need to trust that he won't think less of me, and even if he does I'm adult enough to know I need to be able to tell him this.

"I was reeling from the rejection of my breakup," I continue. "Angela was in her love-nest bubble with Ben, and then Allie got engaged. I was really happy for them both. It's just, well, my life was a mess, and I couldn't help feeling a little jealous. With Allie, it meant she'd be moving out of our apartment and I'd have to figure out how to afford it on my own. Then the housing market in Seattle crashed, and suddenly all those parents who had caused the enrollment to spike couldn't afford it. By April, our re-enrollment was down and the board decided they'd have to make cuts. Since I had the least seniority, I was the first to be told I wouldn't have a job in September."

"Wow, Bella. I think 'shitty time' accurately describes it," Edward says while sitting with me on the couch again and wrapping me in his arms.

"Allie offered to postpone her move-out plans, and suggested she could delay her September wedding. But I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't let her loyalty to me compromise her own happiness, and Jasper made her so happy. I began a very active job search, hoping that my year of experience and good references would put me ahead of the pack that was just graduating with their degrees. A West Seattle school called in June and asked if I could teach summer school. The interview was quick, and I think just a formality. My principal at the Catholic school knew the director of the summer program personally, so I think that's why I got the call. Other than that, I had a couple of interviews for permanent teaching positions around the city, but no offers. It was really discouraging."

Edward hugs me tighter and places a kiss on my forehead.

"Edward, I feel a little embarrassed telling you about this. You've had such a successful career, and I sound like a fuck-up."

"No, no sweetheart. Don't think that. Bella, it's true that I had an easier time of it when it came to my career, but I think I was emotionally stunted. You had a wonderful friendship with Alice and Angela. All my energy went into work. I didn't have a single close friend who had my back during my entire time in Chicago."

"You had Maggie," I say quietly.

"Not the same. She wasn't to me what you and your friends are to each other. And certainly not what you mean to me now."

I breathe deeply and start again. "During the summer program, the school suggested I get myself added to the substitute teaching pool. It wasn't reliable employment, but it kept me in the profession. I called Carlisle to see if he needed any help with tours, and he happily included me on his roster of fill-in guides again. I found this apartment in August, when Allie moved into Jasper's place and I no longer wanted to live in Capital Hill. Being a part-time substitute teacher and a part-time tour guide actually paid more than my previous salary, so I felt comfortable getting my own place. I figured that if finances got really strapped, I could always sign up with a temp agency and do office work. I loathed the idea, though, and thankfully never had to resort to that."

"When did you sign on permanently with my dad?" Edward asks.

"Oh, the following summer. Someone in Carlisle's office retired - Eleanor Cope, did you know her?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Cope seemed like a member of the family when I was growing up. We secretly suspected she ran the company for my dad."

"Hah, yeah she was a character. I didn't know her well, but she was always very sweet to me and had a wicked sense of humor. I think if she weren't 20 years older than your dad, everyone in the office would have suspected they had a romance on the side because of the way she teased him. Your dad took it on the chin, and gave back as good as he got."

"Well, there's no way my dad would have cheated on my mom, even if Mrs. Cope had been closer to his age. In that respect, my dad's a great role model for me and Em."

"That's sweet, Edward. Anyway, Carlisle asked me if I was interested in coming on full-time when Mrs. Cope retired. I didn't want to give up being a guide, though, so he worked out a time split to enable me to still do tours. He hired a part-time office worker to make up the difference, instead of having to replace me as a guide if I'd taken the full-time office position. Your dad is great, Edward."

"He is. ...Oh shit, what time is it? I forgot to call him back," Edward says as he rises to get his phone.

* * *

**A/N** - For readers in the US, hope you're enjoying a fun and relaxing Labor Day.


	48. Chapter 48

It's already 6:00 pm and I've done none of my normal Sunday chores. As Edward stands in the kitchen dialing his dad, I head to the bedroom to give him some privacy and to begin gathering my laundry items. There are two coin washers and dryers in the basement of my building. Since it's so much later than my normal washing time, I suspect I'll be waiting for the machines to open up.

I can hear Edward talking in the kitchen and feel a little guilty for listening. "Wow, welcome back," Edward says with surprise. "So you got home at 2:00, really?"

Oh! Well that was a close call because we were in Edward's childhood bedroom doing wicked things at 1:30! Edward walks into the bedroom while I'm sorting my dirty clothes into baskets on the bed. He puts an arm around my waist and pulls me to sit on his lap. I still have on my fluffy bathrobe, which spills open when I sit down. Edward's free hand immediately starts roaming my torso.

"Wow, so how long did you have to wait for your lost luggage, then?" he says, with his hand creeping up to cup my breast. "Huh, well that's good," flick, flick over my nipple. "I'm glad they found it. Sorry you had to wait an hour. I know it's frustrating to be stuck at the airport when all you want to do is get home."

I immediately blush all over. Carlisle and Esme could have walked in on us in the basement if not for some lost luggage. Edward notices my blush, then drops his hand down to my thigh and rubs it up and down, from my knee to my hip. His fingers wrap around my ass and he pulls me to him in a sort of hug, as if to say 'don't worry about it.'

"Yeah, I'm with her now, actually. The chairs worked out great." After a pause he says, "No, it wasn't too bad. We ended up waiting out most of the traffic. It's actually a good place to hang out for a while."

My body heats again, remembering how we waited out the traffic. Edward's fingers slide up my torso to cup my breast again. Flick, flick. Flick, flick. He looks down to see my nipple, erect against my pink chest. My blush deepens, knowing he's ogling me while talking with his dad. I squirm a bit on his lap and Edward smirks at me and raises one eyebrow. He drops his hand to my upper thigh, pushing his fingers in between my legs. I squirm again, getting wet from his touching. Edward's hand slides up higher still, now feeling my wetness. His smirk changes to an intense stare, and he pushes his hand up to cup me, turning me on his lap so my back is to his chest and my legs fall on either side of his. With the robe open and my legs splayed, my nakedness is completely exposed.

"Uh huh, yeah, that'd be good," he says as he runs his fingers through my lower lips. My chest is heaving. Edward inserts two fingers inside me, pumping them in and out, in and out. His thumb starts to rub my clit. Holy shit, on some level this seems so inappropriate but when I look around my bedroom we're alone. "I'll ask her. Hang on."

Edward covers the speaker with his thumb, then leans down to my ear, bites my earlobe, and breathes huskily while moving his middle and forefinger from my pussy to my clit, circling it hard and fast. "Bella," Edward says while I arch my hips off his lap. "My parents want to know if we'd like to have dinner with them tomorrow night. They want to thank me for looking after their place while they were on vacation. I think you helped me with that," he says while plunging his fingers back inside, pumping several times and then bringing them back to my clit again.

I nod, because I don't trust my voice despite his thumb covering the speaker. "What's that, sweetheart? I didn't hear you," he says while doubling the pressure and speed of his fingers on my clit. Oh shit, I'm definitely coming hard from this. I can feel it in my whole body, and I start to shake a little on his lap trying to fend off my orgasm.

"Bella, would you like to go to dinner?" he asks again.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I rasp as I start to come. Edward's fingers plunge into me, his thumb rubbing my clit. "Yes," I pant, "yes, yes, yessssss." I climax around Edward's fingers, containing my voice as much as possible.

"She's coming," he says into the phone. "What time would you like us at your house."

* * *

**A/N - **Just a little somethin' extra for the day. Hope you enjoyed. :-)


	49. Chapter 49

When he ends the call with his dad, Edward tosses the phone on the bed. He slides me off his lap and lays me on the bed, my knees bent and my toes on the floor. I'm still heaving as I come down from my orgasm. Edward drops to his knees on the floor in between my legs. He flips open his button and unzips his jeans, pushing them down to his thighs. Sliding both hands under my ass, he pulls me to the edge of the bed and then grabs his cock to line up with my pussy.

"That was very, very hot, Bella. And a little naughty, too, don't you think?" He's stroking his cock, and each time he reaches the end his knuckles brush against my sensitive clit. "What if my parents heard you come, sweetheart?" he asks as he slides into me. Edward leans forward and flicks my nipple with his tongue. He pulls slowly out of me, then slams back in, pushing me up the bed. I spread my legs wider, using leverage from my toes against the floor to slide back to the end and grind against his pelvis.

Edward reaches underneath me with one hand to grab my ass, his fingers sliding into my crease. His forefinger is against my anus, but not pushing in. Edward's other hand runs up to my shoulder, effectively anchoring me to him. "Is this OK, sweetheart?" he asks as he very gently moves his finger over my asshole.

"Yes, just keep it to what we've done," I say.

Edward nods, pulls out his cock and then pushes in again gently. "Bella, can you come again? If you rubbed your clit, would you come again?"

"Maybe," I rasp.

Edward takes his hand off my shoulder and reaches to the drawer. I notice that he's put my vibrator back, hopefully cleaned. "I cleaned it earlier," he says as if reading my mind and pulling it from the drawer. "Here, take this, use it on your clit, sweetheart. Turn it on and rub it against me as I slide in and out of you."

Edward puts his hand back on my shoulder, then resumes pushing in and out, in and out, in a slow rhythm. "Give it a try, Bella. If it's too much, if you're too sensitive, we don't have to use it."

I love the feeling of fullness from Edward being inside me, and writhe a little against him as his pelvis meets mine. When he pulls out, I slide the vibrator down to where we're joined. It's not turned on yet. I want to figure out this rhythm first. Edward pulls back, and I use the long length of the vibrator to push between us so it rubs against my lips and his cock as he slides through my wetness. I pull it back as he slowly pushes in. We do this a few times, and even without the vibration the smoothness of the vibrator and the addition of a toy feels erotic.

"Turn it on, Bella," Edward commands. "I want to feel you come on my cock, and I want to feel the vibrator as I move in and out of you."

Shit, that's hot. I flick on the switch, but keep the vibrator from touching my clit. I move the shaft down to my lower lips as Edward pulls out, running the tip up and around to the other side of his cock. "Fuck, fuck, that feels good," he grits out. As he pushes back in, I pull the vibrator up and the shaft comes in contact with my clit.

"Oh, shit," I say as Edward starts pulling out again. I get the rhythm down - he pulls out and I slide the vibrator down to one side, around the top of his cock and down the other side, then as he pushes in I pull it toward my belly and across my clit.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," I say on an upswipe across my clit. Edwards eyes are tightly closed. I think he's fending off his orgasm, the pleasure of the vibration obviously feeling good. "Do you like that, Edward," I say huskily as I swipe down and around again. His fingers curl into my ass in response, and his hand tightens on my shoulder. "Faster? I can handle a little faster," I say.

"Shit, Bella. Yeah, faster. Fuck this is so good." he says as he speeds up his rhythm. There's a high and low switch on the vibrator, and we've only ever used the lower speed. I flick the switch to high on an upswipe across my clit, clenching my thighs around Edward's waist as he pushes in. My climax is just over the edge, so I push down hard with the vibrator and explode.

'Shit, shit, shit," Edward says as I spasm around his cock. He pulls out and I somehow manage to push down the vibrator on one side. The upper end of the shaft is on my clit, and the side is against Edward's cock which is partially out and partially in. "Fuck, oh fuck, Bella," he says as he starts to push in. I'm not as graceful pulling the vibrator back, and it gets a little stuck between us when his pelvis meets mine. The action causes it to push down hard on my clit, bringing on another wave of spasms that are so deep my legs start shaking.

"Ahhh, arghhh," I scream loudly.

Edward brings his other hand to my ass, pushing his cock in hard and fast once I pull away the vibrator and flail my arm on the bed above my head. I'm still convulsing, his pubic hair hitting my clit with each thrust. I think he's coming, but I'm so blissed out I don't know for sure. His fast fucking continues until he stills suddenly and grips tightly with his hands, his forefinger lightly dipping into my anus. We've done this before and I've been OK with it. All my muscles go slack as my orgasm subsides, including my asshole and his finger pushes just slightly farther inside.

Edward collapses on top of me. "Of fuck, I'm so sorry Bella," he says as he pulls his finger out. "Shit, are you OK? Bella I'm so sorry."

"Edward," I rush to assure him, "it's OK. We've done that much before. It's OK. Shh. Just relax," I say as I hug him around his torso and he brings his hands up under my shoulders. We're both still breathing hard, and Edward is still inside me. He starts to pull out, but I wrap my legs around his waist to pull him back. "Stay here. Just stay for a bit. I'm still pulsing inside a little. I want you to stay inside." I tell him breathlessly.

Edward turns his head to kiss my neck, making a trail with his tongue up to my earlobe. He bites it gently, then licks inside my ear and blows a breath there. His lips drag down my chin, then up to my lips where he pulls first my upper lip into his mouth, then my lower lip and sucks it hard. I kiss him back, but my energy is spent and even my lips feel tired. When my head falls back to the bed, Edward kisses my neck, releases his hands under my shoulder and rises up on his knees. He's still inside me, and pushes slightly to stay inside as his cock starts to soften. We're a sticky mess, about to get stickier once he pulls out.

"Do you want to shower?" I ask him. I sit up and grab his ass, pulling him tight into me again. It puts my face in line with his neck. I lick his Adam's apple up to his chin, which I bite gently. "Let's shower off our incredible sexual olympics," I say.

He laughs. "So, the toy - was that OK?"

"Oh yeah. We definitely have to do that again sometime," I smile at him. We're both grabbing the other's ass, and when he grins and squeezes mine I do the same in response. Edward yelps a little, pulling out of me in the process.

"Shit, sorry. That was ticklish," he laughs.

* * *

**A/N** - The continuation of the fun, just because it's Labor Day. :-)


	50. Chapter 50

Monday after work I'm panicking as I rummage through my closet. I didn't to do any laundry last night, opting instead to run out to the 24-hour grocery store after Edward left for the evening. Now I'm paying for wanting food over clean clothes. Ugh, what should I wear tonight?

Edward calls me as he's leaving his place to let me know he's on his way. He can hear the panic in my voice, but I spare him the details of my meltdown and assure him I'm fine. I am so not fine. I want to be the calm and collected person he thinks I am, but in reality I have just as many freakouts about stupid girly shit as the next woman.

When my doorbell rings, I'm no more dressed than when he called 10 minutes ago. I'm in my lace bra and panties because my more comfortable underwear needs to be washed. I throw on my fluffy robe and head to the door, letting him inside but then rushing back to my bedroom with a shout that I'm still getting ready. I hear him shut the door and walk down the hallway to my bedroom. Clothes are strewn across my bed, and I heave a loud sigh as he sits down on the end, pushing a dress aside.

"Argh, sorry Edward. I can't figure out what to wear."

"Hey, come here," he says grabbing my hand pulling me onto his lap. "First of all, hello." Edward kisses my lips and hugs me around my waist, dipping his hand into my robe.

"I love this robe," he says as his fingers roam up and down my torso. I smile, remembering our adventures yesterday that prominently featured said robe. "You'll look beautiful in anything, Bella. My parents won't care what you wear."

"Arghhh," I groan as I drop my forehead to his shoulder. "Edward, this matters. I can't just wear jeans or shorts and I can't dress like I would at work. I need to dress _up_," I argue. "These are your parents. They know me, but they've never seen me as your girlfriend!" My panic is getting ridiculous, even in my frenzied state I recognize this but can't seem to stop it.

"Hey, Bella, it's OK. I can see this is important to you. Let's see what you have here."

I stand and remove my robe to try on a dress. Edward sucks in a breath and his hands come out to grip my ass. "Oh, Bella. You look exquisite in these. Let's take them off and just stay in tonight. My parents won't care."

I'm so not turned on right now. I'm pissed, actually. I have to meet Carlisle and Esme in 20 minutes and am still trouncing around in my underwear. "Edward, we don't have time," I say as I slap his hands from my body and throw the dress back on the bed. "I have to get dressed," I all but whine.

"OK, ok. I'm sorry," he says contritely but with a smirk. I don't think he's taking me seriously. "You have great legs, sweetheart. Why don't you wear a dress."

OK, now we're getting somewhere. This is actually helpful. "What color?" I ask.

"Um, OK, how about this one?" He pulls out a yellow dress from my closet. It was my bridesmaid's dress in Angela's wedding.

"Really, Edward! I wore that in a wedding. I can't wear that to see your parents!"

"Right, OK. So, what else do you have?" He begins shuffling through the items in my closet, but I've already pulled out all possibilities and laid them on the bed. What's left are items like the bridesmaid's dress - clothing I'm unlikely to ever wear again. I'm about to tell him to move away from the closet when he grabs a simple white linen sun dress from the back corner. It has wide black shoulder straps and black ribbing on the bodice, and a thin black belt to cinch above a pleated skirt. I have a pair of black sandals that will dress it down a little. My mom gave me the dress as a gift when I started my first year of teaching but I've never worn it.

I feel guilty for getting frustrated with him - he so quickly landed on the perfect outfit. "Thank you," I sigh as I lean up to kiss him. His lips meet mine and he brings his hands up to my head, causing our kiss to linger.

"You're welcome, Beautiful. Don't stress. You'll look amazing as always, and my parents and I already know how charming you are. You're perfect."

"I'm not perfect, this coniption being a great case in point. But thank you, that's sweet."

"Lift your arms. I'll help you dress," Edward says.

I do as I'm told and Edward ogles my lace-covered chest, leaning down to place a gentle kiss at the top of my cleavage. Once the dress is on, Edward's hands glide up my thighs because supposedly my skirt is 'bunched funny.' When he gets to my ass, he pushes his fingers into the back of my lace panties and squeezes my cheeks. "Panty line," he says.

I'm actually getting a little turned on by his playfulness, despite my earlier annoyance. Edward pulls his hand out of my skirt and adjusts the pleats, then runs both hands up my waist to my breasts, squeezing them over my dress. "Just checking," he says.

I laugh and push his hands away. "OK, come on. More of that later if you're good."

"Oh goodie," he says as he palms my ass and pulls me into a kiss. When he breaks free he says, "Hey, you don't work until noon tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, I have a 1:00 pm tour."

"Do you want to pack a bag and stay over tonight? You can bring your laundry and do it at my place," he says glancing at my stacked baskets of dirty clothes.

"OK!" I say brightly. I like that plan - sexy times with Edward and domestic chores on the side. Yay me.

* * *

**A/N** - So we meet the parents next.


	51. Chapter 51

I get a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Carlisle while Esme smothers Edward in a bear hug. When she's done with Edward, Esme takes my shoulders and pulls me into her, giving me an equally tight hug. "Thank you, Bella," she whispers. "Thank you for caring for my son and anchoring him to Seattle."

"Um, you're welcome. He's great, Esme. I should be thanking you for raising such a good person," I whisper back awkwardly. I'm not sure why our voices are low, but she started it so I'm sticking to it.

"Mom, you're crushing her," Edward says with a laugh. "Come on, let's move out of the entryway." He grabs my hand and pulls me to the kitchen.

"I thought we could eat outside today," Esme says. "Would you prefer the deck off the kitchen or the patio by the water?"

"Let's eat on the patio," Edward says. "Maybe afterwards I can get Bella out in the double kayak before the sun sets. Would that be OK?"

"Edward, I'm not really dressed for it," I say with concern.

"Bella, you do look beautiful. I love that dress, sweetheart," Esme says. Hmm, so that's where Edward gets his term for me.

"Thank you Esme. My mom gave it to me as a gift. I'll have to let her know I received your compliment."

"If you'd like to go in the kayak, you can wear my wetsuit," Esme offers. "I'm a little taller than you and at least 20 pounds heavier, but they fit like a glove so I'm sure it would work."

"It's settled then," Edward says with boyish enthusiasm. "Bella, you'll love it. We see river otters and sea lions out here all the time, and occasionally an orca pod but those rarely come close to shore."

Edward still has his hand over mine as we stand and stare out at the water. I notice Esme look down to our clasped hands and smile broadly. She grabs Carlisle's hand to squeeze it and he pulls her into a one-arm hug. It's sweet, even if I feel like Edward and I are on display.

I was anxious about how it would go tonight, especially with Carlisle, who I still think of as my boss. He's been quiet so far; I'm not sure if he's as uncomfortable with this as I am or just giving me time to adjust.

"Dinner's ready," he says. "Let's grab the food and take it to the patio table. Edward, can you fetch a bottle of red wine from the basement cellar and leave it outside?"

Edward squeezes my hand and heads downstairs. I'm nervous being alone with his parents. As we move to gather plates, utensils, glassware and food, Carlisle clears his throat. "Bella, I want you to know that I think it's wonderful you and Edward have started seeing each other. I couldn't be more pleased, actually. Is it awkward at work?" he asks.

"Um, we haven't said anything yet," I say nervously. Does Carlisle think we should have gone public?

"Oh, well that's understandable. People gossip and assume all kinds of untrue things. I won't give it away, then. But have you two thought about when or if you'll let others know? It's a hard thing to keep secret. I know from experience - Esme and I met at work."

"Really? Where was that?" I ask.

"Where was what?" Edward asks as he climbs the stairs two at a time.

"Oh, we were just talking about how your mother and I met. Let's take these items downstairs and we can continue the conversation over dinner," Carlisle finishes.

Carlisle fills our glasses with wine while I set plates and utensils on the table. Edward and I sit next to each other, and Carlisle and Esme are across from one another and each adjacent to one of us. The water side of the table is empty, allowing us all a view to the beach, islands, and mountains beyond.

"My dad and mom met when he worked in sales for a pharmaceutical company," Edward says. "He traveled a lot when Em and I were little. I was pretty young when Seattle Adventures got started, but I definitely remember my dad suddenly being home a lot more. It was great."

"Yes, I left that job to start the company," Carlisle explains. "I directed sales for all of North America and with my team spread across 6 time zones my hours often ended up being from early morning to late in the evening. The worst, though, was I had to be on the road about four days a week. It took a terrible toll on me because I missed my family so much. Experiencing your kids growing up is one of the most precious gifts, and I didn't want to miss any more of it."

"Seattle Adventures has been very successful, Carlisle. You must be very proud to have built one of the largest and most respected local tour companies."

"Thank you Bella. I'm most proud of my sons, though. They've grown to be wonderful men."

"So, were you in Sales also, Esme? Is that how you met?" I ask.

"Oh, no. I was the finance manager who constantly berated Carlisle for his missing or inaccurate expense reports," Esme chuckles. "Dear, I love you, but your attention to detail is terrible," she says with a smile at Carlisle.

"Hey, it's tough to get that stuff right when you're constantly on the road!" Carlisle looks back to me and continues, "Anyway, the company had a non-fraternization policy and technically we violated the rules when Esme agreed to go out with me."

"We didn't violate any rules. You always say that!" Esme says. "But it was frowned upon. And being in finance, I was a stickler for compliance and avoiding any appearance of impropriety. Carlisle was too tempting, though. I think I fell for him the moment I laid eyes on his beautiful grin. Carlisle stopped by my office to try to charm his way out of providing receipts for an expense report. I had been emailing him about it for three weeks. I can't say it worked, but I did agree to have dinner with him."

"It _did_ work. I don't remember wasting time finding those for you."

"That's because I did it for you, dear," Esme says. "You gave me the keys to your apartment after our second week of dating, and I found them sitting in plain sight on your dining room table while you were in Montreal. I've told you this before," she says with a smirk. "Really Bella, I swear he has selective memory."

"And she has selective hearing. But I still love her," Carlisle counters.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

They gaze at each other with big grins on their faces and the sweetness between them is so endearing. Edward grabs my hand under the table and squeezes my fingers before letting go.

"How did you let people at work know about your relationship?" Edward asks. "I don't think I've heard that story."

"We didn't, not intentionally. I wanted to keep it secret but your dad had other ideas."

"Esme, I was in love with you from our first date. I wanted to scream it to the world."

"I know, sweetheart," she beams at him. "We got caught," she says to Edward and me.

"Caught how?" I ask, assuming she and Carlisle were seen out on a date.

"Oh, you know, classic story," she says with a wave of her hand as Carlisle chuckles quietly. "We were scheduled for our second date that evening but Carlisle had to leave town suddenly. He stopped by my office to explain. My secretary walked in on us in a, um, compromising position."

Edward is mid-swallow and suddenly spits a mouthful of red wine across the table. I'm so glad we're not sitting across from each other - my white dress would have been ruined.

"What?!" he chokes out.

"Oh Edward, you're a grown man. You're old enough to figure out that your father and I have had sex. We had you and Emmett, for Pete's sake."

"Yeah, but the second date!" he says with a disbelieving tone.

"It's not like you and Bella aren't getting some action," she says. What?! I blush a deep red and choke out my own cough.

"Mom!"

"Edward, you left evidence on the pool table."

What evidence! Holy shit, she didn't have to clean it up, did she? I'm so incredibly embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed, Bella. If you care about each other - and it's so obvious you do - I'm all for it," she says with a wide grin before taking a big bite of her food.

"Edward, you owe it to your mother to clean that up," his father laughs while pointing at the wine spray on the table.

* * *

**A/N** - So, fast-developing relationships run in the family. And yeah, sex is messy people. :-)


	52. Chapter 52

It's late and Edward and I are sitting together on his rooftop lounge chair. When we got back to Edward's condo we busied ourselves with getting my laundry started and then working together on the Microsoft proposal, which Edward needs to submit by the end of the week.

But now in this silence the surreal evening with his parents is front of mind. Frankly, I think we're both numb from it and neither of us has said anything for the past 30 minutes. His parents were perfectly sweet, but it's hard to move past the idea of Esme cleaning up semen on the pool table.

Edward breaks the silence first. "I had it pretty easy as a teenager - I must be paying for it now."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Oh, you know. All of my friends got caught by their parents at least once, even if it was just some heavy petting with their girlfriends. I never even got caught masturbating, which is so common it's almost a rite of passage in a young boy's life."

"I still can't believe your mom told us about it. Why would she _do_ that?!"

"Probably so we don't use their house again as our playground," Edward laughs out. "Ewww," he says with a shake of his arms. "I can't get the image out of my head of my mom scrubbing that table with gloves and a sponge. God, I hope she used gloves."

That's not an image I particularly wanted to be stuck with, but now I'll never be able to see Esme in gloves or that pool table without thinking about it. "Thanks for the visual," I joke. "My mom can be a little out there, too."

"Oh yeah? You haven't talked much about her. What do you mean."

"She told me to go on the Pill when I was 15 - I waited until I was in college. And she's always trying to talk to me about her sex life. Phil's about 10 years younger than her making him only 12 years older than me, but I still think of him as a father figure. How they get their groove on is just not something I want to know."

"Well, before tonight my parents have spared me those stories, so I guess I'm lucky in that respect," Edward says.

"Oh, and she gave me the sex talk when I was 11, but it wasn't clinical at all. She told me how to achieve orgasms and how to make a man feel good with my fingers and mouth. I was scarred for weeks!"

"I think I'm now scarred for life by that story my parents told us."

"Hah, yeah. I can appreciate the humor of getting caught in the office, but then they're not my parents."

"Well, if we ever need to make our kids feel uncomfortable, I guess we have our own story now," Edward barks out a laugh.

"Yeah," I laugh back.

Wait a minute. Did we just say what I think we said?


	53. Chapter 53

On Friday late morning I'm throwing the last item into my small suitcase when my phone rings and Allie's name fills the display.

"Hey. You packed?" I ask as I answer.

"Almost. Bella, I got us appointments at the spa on Saturday afternoon. Jasper has a tee time lined up and I hate golf - the guys can spend the afternoon on the course and you and I can relax with facials and massages."

"I'm really looking forward to this trip," I tell her honestly. "I'm sorry if I doubted you at the restaurant. You don't feel like we're cramping your alone time with Jasper, do you? I know you've both been doing a lot of traveling. I thought you wanted a romantic vacation."

"Oh, trust me, Bella, I'm still planning plenty of sexy times. Don't count on us for breakfast either morning - and we won't be sleeping in."

We had agreed to meet Alice and Jasper at the resort instead of trying to coordinate a carpool or two-car caravan. Edward's dad is working with him this morning to finalize the Microsoft proposal, and once that's submitted at noon, Edward will be ready to leave. I'm looking forward to my own sexy times with Edward when we arrive at Alderbrook. We haven't seen each other outside of work since Tuesday morning, when Edward dropped me and my laundry at home on his way to a client visit. Our evening and the morning after dinner with his parents was filled with affection, but no sex. I went years without getting any, but these past few days have been torture.

My phone buzzes with an incoming call from Edward while I'm connected with Alice. "Hey Allie, Edward is calling. Let me get this and I can call you back."

"We're good, Bella. I'll see you at Alderbrook in a few hours. Tell Edward to drive safely."

"Text me when you guys arrive," I say as I finish the call.

I connect with my incoming call and with a huge grin say into the phone, "I'm so glad to talk with you. Almost done?"

"I'm outside your door, actually. We finished early."

It's not far from my bedroom to my front door, so Edward is finishing his sentence when I swing it open and wrap my hand around his neck for a kiss. My lips press hard, and Edward responds immediately, opening his mouth and mingling his tongue with mine.

Our phones get tossed on the nearby counter and Edward pushes the door shut with his foot while I shuffle backwards into my apartment. Edward lifts me up and places me on the counter, slides between my knees and pulls me towards the edge with his hands on my ass.

"I've missed this," I tell him.

"Oh Bella, you have no idea." To make his point, Edward grabs my hand and places it over the bulge on his pants, which I stroke through his jeans.

I have on a sundress that's risen up my thighs, so with my free hand I grab one of his and place it between my legs. While I continue to stroke him, Edward dips his fingers underneath my panties. He feels my wetness and smirks at me. I smirk back and squeeze, because we definitely want the same thing.

Edward tells me to lift my ass so he can pull my panties down my legs, and once that's complete I use both my hands to unbuckle his belt and undo the button and zipper on his jeans. My feet push his jeans and boxers down his legs, and I use the heel of my foot on his ass to pull him into me. His cock pushes against my stomach, but with the slightest bend of his knees we could be lined up for some serious fucking.

"Is this where you want to do this, Bella?" Edward asks huskily. He grabs his cock and rubs it around my clit, making me squirm on the counter.

"I don't care, Edward. I just want you inside me."

"OK, I have an idea," he says as he kicks off his jeans and boxers and toes off his shoes. "Come with me," he says while helping me down from the countertop. Edward peels off his shirt and tosses it into the pile with the rest of his clothes as we walk towards my bathroom. Not wanting to feel overdressed, I pull the sundress over my head and unhook my bra, leaving both items trailing in the hallway as I follow behind Edward.

Oddly, my bathroom has the best view in my apartment, with a large window that looks out onto a city park. Edward pulls up the blinds and slides open the window, letting in fresh air and sounds of people at the park. There are several teenagers milling about on the antiquated playground equipment, which is always devoid of little kids because the high schoolers long ago claimed this park as their own. There's also a young couple making out on a blanket in a very small clearing. I doubt they think anyone can see them because from inside the park the trees and bushes would obscure them, but from my bird's-eye view they're in plain sight.

I stand in front of the window, my nakedness on display if anyone were to look up three stories into my window. "I don't think they can see you without binoculars," Edward says from behind me. "But I can't be sure," he finishes with a breathy whisper in my ear.

Edward turns on the cold-water tap at the sink, a step away from where we're standing. He washes his hands and draws a gasp from me as he brings them to my breasts, causing my nipples to instantly harden and goosebumps to break out on my entire body.

"Look at the couple, Bella," Edward says while one hand moves from my breast to my lower lips.

I look down at the park and notice the man's hand is up his partner's skirt. She's writhing on the blanket while he kisses her neck. Edward leans in to kiss my neck as he rubs circles over my clit. The girl on the ground grabs her partner's cock over his pants and the man thrusts his hips into her hand. They kiss and touch and Edward mimics some of their actions. A breeze blows into the window and with it some sounds from the park. The woman's moans and the man's grunts are clearly heard, as well as the standard cuss words coming from the teenagers over by the teeter totter.

I have a small stool in my bathroom for reaching a tall cabinet, and Edward drags it in front of the window with his toe. He tells me to climb up, grabs my hips and helps me step onto the small platform. In front of the window is a radiator covered by a metal box. Edward positions one of my feet on the radiator and with the added height, I'm now fully exposed from my pussy to my tits if someone were to look inside. I'm also at the perfect height for Edward to slide into me from behind.

"Ready, sweetheart? I'm going to fuck you here, and I promise you're going to love it." Edward says lowly. "Then I'm going to make slow and gentle love to you on your bed, and if we get to Alderbrook late who gives a fuck?" Edward says while rubbing my lips and clit with his whole hand. His other hand cups my right breast, flicking over the nipple with his thumb.

Down below, I see the man rise up on his knees and push down his pants. His cock springs free and the woman rises up to lick it. Wow, someone could walk in on them anytime. He holds her head as she takes him into her mouth.

Edward, meanwhile, lines up his cock with my pussy and pushes in slowly. I grab the side of the window to steady myself in this delicate pose. I see the woman below reach a hand down to her pussy, getting herself off while she sucks off the man. "Fuck Bella, can you see that?" Edward asks through a thrust. "I swear I had no idea that was going on, but shit, it's kind of hot," he says.

Edwards finger comes around to my clit and he rubs in gentle circles while he thrusts in and out, in and out. The man below pushes the woman's head back, and as she releases him from her mouth his cock bounces up and down in the air. He says something, then she pulls her panties off and turns around and places her forearms on the blanket.. A moment later, the sound reaches my window on a breeze and we hear his directive telling her to get on her knees. He slams into her, then begins a steady rhythm and I can see his cock slide in and out. Her hand goes back to getting herself off while he fucks her pussy.

Whether consciously or not, Edward's rhythm matches the thrusts of the couple below. I have a momentary giggle thinking we're like a symphony, a fucking symphony, but the humor leaves as soon as Edward starts circling my clit hard with his hand. His other hand is still palming my breast, effectively holding me in place so I'm in no danger of falling - except falling over the edge.

I've been quiet through this experience because I don't want park-goers to look up to my window, but I can't hold back anymore. My moan is loud, and I notice the couple below still their activities and look around, then resume again. "Oh god," I whisper. "Fuck, yeah, just like that Edward. God, just like that, that, that, shit, yeah, that," I say through gritted teeth in my attempt to keep my voice low.

"Let it out, Bella," Edward says while increasing the speed and power of his thrusts. I stop noticing people in the park and focus instead on just _feeling._ "Fuuuuuuck," Edward groans out as he comes through several shaky thrusts. He squeezes my breast and flicks his index finger furiously over my clit when he stills, still hard inside me but clearly spent. Edward bites my earlobe and flicks it with his tongue. "Keep your eyes open, sweetheart," he says. "Anyone could see us like this, me fucking your pussy and my hands on your body."

My climax comes on slow but deep, and my legs start to shake because I'm afraid to let go. Once it begins, though I can't stop it, and as I squeeze my eyes shut my muscles convulse hard around Edward's cock. He thrusts gently, softening but still inside and filling me. "That's it, Bella. Let go," he says gently.

"Oh my god they're fucking?!"

The sound of a teenager comes in with a breeze and I open my eyes wide to see the couple in mid-orgasm as two of the teenage boys stand in the bushes around the clearing.

* * *

**A/N** - Just a little fun to kick off their weekend. :-)


	54. Chapter 54

The ferry ride across the Sound to Bremerton is relaxing and beautiful. We stand on the upper deck with my back against the railing and Edward caging me between his arms.

"So, voyeurism - another one of your adventures with Kate?" I ask with a smile.

Edward smiles back and leans in for a soft kiss. "Nope, only with you," he says gently. "You seemed to enjoy the thrill that people might see us when we made love in my dining room. That couple wasn't part of my plans."

I smile at him and lean forward to bite his chin, then kiss his neck. "God, what are the odds that someone would be doing that in the park!" I say.

"Well, considering there are 20 people out of a hundred fucking at any one time, I'd say the odds aren't as slim as you'd think. And I'm 87.5% certain of that statistic," he says with an air of authority.

"Oh really? Well, I'm 99.9% sure that I liked it."

"You wound me, sweetheart! What .1% of you is uncertain?"

"The smidgen that had a mild panic attack when those boys discovered the couple. God, I felt really bad for the woman!"

"I didn't feel so bad for the boys, though," Edward says. "They'll have spank-bank material to last until they start getting their own action. From the looks of them, I'd say they're not too suave with the ladies yet," he laughs.

"You're such a guy," I laugh at him.

"I am," he says as he leans into me with his whole body, grinding a bit against my stomach. "A suave and beautiful one, apparently," Edward says as a reference to Allie's term for him last Sunday.

"Oh, Edward Cullen, you're definitely beautiful," I say as I grip his waist and then run my hands down and around him to squeeze his ass. "Now, the suave part might need some work." I duck under his arms and run down the deck to the covered area of the ferry. Edward catches up to me at the door, grabbing me around the waist and spinning me around. We're both laughing, and I giggle uncontrollably when his fingers start tickling my belly.

"Take it back, Bella," Edward laughs.

"Bella? Hey, what are you doing here? Oh, um, hi Edward."

I look up and see Mike from the office, holding hands tightly with Jess, who has an odd smirk on her face.

Oh shit.


	55. Chapter 55

Edward's fingers immediately halt their torture on my stomach and he pulls back his hands from around my waist. We're both breathing hard from our laughing, and I feel my face burn and my palms sweat.

"Hey Mike, Jess," Edward says calmly as if nothing is odd. "Where are you headed?"

So, that's how we're playing this? Hmm, it's worth a shot.

"My folks live in Bremerton. They're having us over for dinner tonight," Mike explains with a wide grin, obviously proud of his relationship. Wow, that was fast. Way to go Mike!

Jess seems a little uncomfortable, but I'm not sure if it's from being caught with Mike or having caught Edward and I in a questionable pose. We were just goofing around, after all. Maybe it's not so obvious we're together.

"How about you two?," Mike asks. "I didn't realize you hung out together." Oh Mike, you're so clueless.

"Bella's friend Allie is married to my friend Jasper. I'm playing golf with Jasper tomorrow over at Alderbrook. Bella's got plans to spend time with Allie while we're on the course."

"I remember Allie," Jess speaks finally. "She's your friend who is an airline steward, right?"

"Right," I confirm. "And her husband's a pilot. They've both been by the office before, though never at the same time. Jasper and Edward went to high school together - small world, huh?"

"Yeah, something like that," Jess says. She is so onto us! I think I need to head off this one at the pass.

"Hey, do you guys want to sit inside with us?" I ask. "We were just goofing around out here on our way to an inside table. I want to grab a soda for the long ride over."

We head inside, Edward keeping a respectful distance from me but I can feel the electricity between our hands - I want to reach over and grab his and end this tension. "I'm going to head to the galley. Anyone else want something?" I ask.

"I'll go with you," Jess says. "Mikey, you want to share something?"

"Whatever you want, Babe." Hmm, they have no problem being chummy.

As we head down one floor to the galley, there's an awkwardness between me and Jess. We've always made easy conversation, even if we've never confided in one another or become good friends. "So," I start, "you and Mike, huh?"

"So," she counters with a smirk, "you and Edward?"

"It's that obvious?" I ask.

"Oh Bella, I think it's been obvious for months. You two were like sick puppies around each other - well until last week, when I ran into you after my Rainer-tour-from-Hell and it was so obvious something was going on."

"Really?! Wow, I thought we handled that well."

"Edward was fine. You're the worst actress I've ever seen. But it was obvious you didn't want me to know, so I let it go."

"Honestly, Jess, this is all really new. We haven't wanted to say anything - you know, in case it doesn't work out or something." Or in case you blab to the world and spin up crazy rumors about Edward treating me more favorably than other employees, I think in my head.

"So, does everyone else know?" I ask.

"No, I'm not like that Bella. I know you think I'm flighty, but I'm actually pretty loyal. Besides, now you know my secret. Mike and I haven't gone public yet. Lauren doesn't even know. I think he might be 'The One,' though," she says with a dreamy sigh.

"I won't say anything," I assure her. "I'm happy for you, Jess. Mike's a good guy," I say sincerely. I'm feeling pretty badly about my earlier regard for Jess. She has potential to be a better friend than I ever gave her credit for.

"I used to think he was kind of smarmy," she says. "All those sex jokes and everything. I think he was just awkward around me, though, you know? And he doesn't do it anymore. I told him that it made me feel like all he wanted with me was sex. He was really contrite after that, and now suddenly he's so damn respectful. It's almost like he's had a personality flip. I kind of miss the 'dirty man' side of him. Well, just a little," she laughs.

I laugh, too, because Jess has summed up Mike so accurately. I'm glad to hear that she knows exactly what she's getting into. And maybe she's exactly what Mike needs - someone to call him on his behaviour and get him to change his ways.

"Besides, he definitely can walk the talk," Jess says conspiratorially. "We're like bunnies!"

I smile at her but don't confide my own insatiable desire with Edward. But thinking about our afternoon at the window and then in my bed does leave a smile on my face. We might not have been caught in a compromising position like Carlisle and Esme, but our positions definitely were the cause of us getting caught. If we'd gotten on the road when we'd originally planned, we'd have been on an earlier ferry and not run into Jess and Mike.

"Bella, I think you and Edward shouldn't hide your relationship," Jess says kindly. "I don't think people would treat you differently - not in our office, anyway. Well, Lauren might be a little snippy, but she's like that all the time anyway," Jess laughs.

"Thanks Jess, I'll think about it."

* * *

**A/N** - So not too bad, right?


	56. Chapter 56

We arrive back at the booth where Mike and Edward are sitting carrying three drinks between us and a couple of popcorn bags. I set down my items and slide into the seat with Edward, wrapping my arm around his waist and kissing him on the lips when he turns towards me. "I got you a root beer," I say sweetly.

Edward's eyes go wide with my public affection but he puts his arm around my shoulder. "Thanks," he says.

"Wait, are you guys together, together?!" Mike asks incredulously.

Jess has shoved in beside Mike and hits him on the shoulder. "Mike, leave it be," she scolds him.

"What? I think it's great! Little Bella Swan, finally getting her man."

"Mike!" I gape at him.

"You're a lucky guy, Edward," Mike follows.

"I am. Very lucky," Edward says with a squeeze of his arm on my shoulder and a kiss against my temple. I blush from being the center of this attention.

"You are kind of cute together," Jess adds. "Mikey," she says, "Don't say anything at work. They're not ready to tell people yet."

"Thanks Jess, but maybe we are?" I say with a glance at Edward. He leans down to kiss my lips firmly, bringing his free hand under the table to grab my free arm. His fingers slide down to my charm bracelet, playing with the ferry boat.

"It would be an adventure," Edward says softly to me. "It's definitely one I'm ready to do," he grins widely at me.

"I feel like I'm intruding on a moment, here, guys. Want some privacy?" Mike asks, the king of tact.

"We're good," I smile at him. "So Mike, I take it your date with Jess went well? He's thought you were cute for a long time, Jess," I tell her.

"That works out well, then," Jess says. "I've kind of fallen for his little boy charm," she laughs.

"I'm not little!" Mike blurts out.

"Oh baby, you're definitely not little where it counts," Jess assures him.

Eww. TMI.


	57. Chapter 57

My phone buzzes as the ferry is turning into the Bremerton port. I glance down to see the text is from Allie, but then the captain announces it's time for passengers to head to their vehicles so I put my phone back in my pocket.

We've had an enjoyable ride over with Jess and Mike. Jess can be intentionally funny and Mike's good for comic relief in an unintentional way, so between their antics we've had a steady state of laughter. I hug them both goodbye and wish them good luck with Mike's parents tonight. Edward shakes first Mike's hand and then Jessica's. It's never occurred to me until now that he's not handsy with anyone in the office but me. I warm at the thought, and grin when I feel his hand at my lower back ushering me to the stairwell.

"Allie texted me," I tell him in the car as I pull out my phone. "Oh, they've arrived at Alderbrook already," I say as I auto-dial her number.

"Hey Bella, we're here!" she says into the phone.

"We're still on our way - we got a late start. Should be there in less than 40 minutes, though."

"OK, you can tell me later why you're so late." she laughs and I can tell she's smirking at me. "Jasper made us reservations for dinner in the restaurant tonight. You guys good with that?"

"I'm sure that'll be perfect. I don't think Edward has any other dinner plans," I say as I ask him with my eyes if that's true and he nods in agreement.

As we drive off the ferry, I see Mike and Jess who it turns out were on the other side of the car deck from us. Cars exit the ferry by twos, and they're just in front and to the left of us. Jess is kissing Mike on the neck while he drives. It's a little dangerous because his car swerves before he corrects it again. I bet she has his hands all over him. I find it funny given her going-at-it-like-bunnies comment, but it's sweet too. I wonder when they'll let people at the office know about their relationship.

Thinking about going public at work makes me want some advice. "Allie, I need to get your opinion on something tonight. What time are dinner reservations?"

"At 7:30 pm. Do you need to meet beforehand?"

"No, Jasper would probably have some insight too. We'll see you then. I want to chill a little after we check-in, and we'll only have about 45 min before we need to meet up with you."

"Sounds good. See you soon."

Edward grabs my hand and pulls it to his lips for a kiss while he concentrates on a turn to get us out of Bremerton. "Everything all right?" he asks.

"Yes. So, dinner is at 7:30. What do you want to do between now and then?" I ask.

"You don't want to rest?" he asks.

"We don't have to," I say as I rub his thigh and slide my hand up to his groin. Edward swerves a bit, then corrects immediately - just like Mike, I chuckle to myself.

"I know a secluded park along the way," Edward smirks as I feel him harden beneath my hand.

"I can wait," I say while squeezing his growing erection.

"Well, we'll have to do something about that, then," he says as he takes a hand off the wheel and pushes my dress up my legs to cup me. Edward dips his fingers immediately into my panties and I spread my legs to give him room. I pull my hand back from his lap because it's become awkward with our arms crossed over one another. I'm getting wet from this attention, and Edward slides a single finger into my pussy.

He pulls out his finger and brings it to his lips, licking it off with his tongue. "Take your panties off, Bella," he commands. I do as he asks, because really, that tone is hot. "Put your right foot on the dash-board." I do that too, and my dress rises up to expose my pussy as my knees splay widely. Edward looks down but doesn't touch. "That's a beautiful sight, sweetheart."

He reaches to his duffel bag in the back seat while keeping one hand on the wheel and his eyes on the road, then unzips an outside pocket of the duffel and pulls out my vibrator. "I snatched this from your bedroom today. Put it in your pussy, Bella. Slow. No vibration."

Wow, I'm instantly dripping. This is crazy! I take the vibrator from his hand, and I notice Edward's hand goes immediately to his cock, palming his erection over his jeans. "I want to unzip my jeans, Bella, but not until you're writhing. Push in the vibrator, sweetheart," he encourages me in a soothing tone.

I insert it slowly, and Edward glances continuously between me and the road. I'm worried this is unsafe. We're not on a major freeway so Edward needs to pay extra attention to the turns.

"OK, sweetheart," Edward says as he turns down the road along the Hood Canal leading to Alderbrook. "From here it's a straight shot to the resort, unless you want me to go to the park."

"The park, definitely the park," I groan out as I push the vibrator in and out, in and out.

"Are you writhing yet?" he asks.

"Fuck yeah," I pant. "I want to turn on the vibration."

"No way, sweetheart," he says as he unbuttons and unzips his pants. His cock peeks through the hole in his boxers, and I reach my free hand over and pull it out. "Get your hand wet, Bella. Run it over your pussy."

I do as I'm told, pulling out the vibrator and running my hand over my folds. Suddenly Edward makes a sharp turn off the road, up a hill and into a heavily treed park. I grab his cock with my now-wet hand, using it to stroke him. "Fuck that feels good. Put the vibrator back inside, Bella."

"Ugh," I grind out as I pump the vibrator in and out, in and out, while my hand strokes up and down, up and down. "This feels so good, Edward. Can I turn on the vibrator, now?" I ask.

"In a little bit, Bella. Just keep doing that," Edward grunts out. I can tell he's getting close. We really need to get to wherever we're going in this park! Finally a clearing in the road opens to a large but completely empty parking lot. Edward pulls into the farthest space, turns off the ignition, then immediately leans over and kisses me hard on the mouth. He puts his hand on mine over the vibrator, speeding up my rhythm.

"Bella, we're going to get out of the car, OK?" he asks as I pant hard. I nod my head and he slowly pulls out the vibrator, unbuckling my seat belt and then his own. He quickly grabs a towel from his duffel, steps out of the car and comes around to my door. I'm so worked up that I haven't moved an inch, but Edward takes the ankle of my foot on his dashboard and places it on the ground, grabbing my hand and pulling me out. He leads me to the front of his car, where he has me sit on the towel on the hood. "It's tough, don't worry about it," Edward tells me when my face registers concern as my weight settles onto the car.

Edward places my feet on the hood, my knees bent and spread wide. He pushes my dress up to my waist, and runs his fingers over my pussy. One hand is still holding the vibrator, which he plunges into me. "Hold that. Keep it inside," he tells me. Edward peels off his t-shirt and pushes his pants and boxers down his legs to just below his knees. Wow this is kinky. With the vibrator inside me, he brings his cock near my pussy and pushes his tip against my clit. "OK, Bella, turn it on, and pull it out slowly, sweetheart."

Oh shit! With the vibration and Edward's cock around my clit I can feel my orgasm coming on hard and fast. I pull it out and the smooth side of the vibrator rubs across Edward's cock. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," Edward says. "Push it back in, Bella. Slowly," he says as he continues to press his cock against my clit. I'm on my elbows and can see everything - the vibrator sliding in and Edward's pre-cum on his tip that presses against my clit. One of Edward's hands is on his dick, rubbing it around my clit. The other is on my ass, wrapped around to keep me still.

"Fuck, I want to be inside you, sweetheart. Shit!" he says as I slide the vibrator past his cock again. I pull it out completely, then use my hand to pull his cock to my pussy. Edward releases his dick and uses both hands on my ass to steady me as he slides in and starts a fast, steady rhythm. I bring the vibrator back to my clit, immediately bringing on a powerful orgasm. "Oh Bella, shit, you're gripping me so fucking tightly. Shit, shit," he grunts as he pushes in and out in a rapid-fire pace, squeezing my ass cheeks almost painfully. "Oh fuck, I'm coming, oh shit this is so incredible," he says in a play-by-play through his erratic thrusts.

He comes hard, then stills and breathes deeply, matching the rhythm of my own deep breaths. As we come down from our orgasms, Edward runs his hands up to my breasts, palming them over my dress. "I need to give these some attention later," he says. "Poor things have been cooped up in this dress through our entire sexcapade."

I laugh at his pout. "Edward, they don't have feelings. I'm pretty sure they're fine not having participated in this tryst. But you can give them attention later. I have no problem with that."


	58. Chapter 58

Our room is spectacular and looks out at the water of the Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains, as well as onto a beautifully landscaped, grassy lawn. Our vista includes a view to the large outdoor fire pit near the dock, and the glass enclosure of the indoor pool and hot-tub near the spa at the end of our building wing. Excluding the golf course that's across the main road from the lodge, this is not a huge resort. However it's comfortable and beautifully decorated in a Northwest lodge style. The lobby has a large fireplace with a cozy sitting area, massive beams in the ceiling, and an expansive set of windows framing the view.

Edward and I are changing our clothes for dinner, putting on something warmer and dressier. He looks handsome in his black jeans, crisp white button down, and tan linen jacket. Edward stands in the mirror adjusting his hair with his fingers. "Wow, you look nice," I say as I stand behind him and run my hands up his back to his shoulders.

"Thank you," Edward says as he turns around. "This is a beautiful dress," he tells me as his hands glide up and down the sides of my torso and he gazes into my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Um, 7:15," I say with a glance at my watch.

"Come here, sweetheart. Sit with me for a minute." Edward leads me to the bed and then slides his hand up to my wrist, playing with my charm. "Bella, I don't have a charm for this, but if I did it would be a heart. I know it's only our second-week anniversary, so I don't know if it's too early to tell you this," he says with a smile and then a gentle kiss on my lips. "But I'm having a hard time keeping this inside, and I don't want to say it at the wrong moment when you might think I'm not sincere." Edward pauses briefly and then says reverently and softly, "Bella, I'm not just _falling _in love with you. I'm _in_ love with you, head-over-heels, wrapped-around-your-finger, completely-smitten, in love with you."

He looks at me with a little fear in his eyes, but complete adoration, too. I know he's worried that he's said it too soon, but I'm burning from the inside out with the feeling of complete happiness. Yes, it's soon, but I don't think it's untrue or that we won't last.

"Are you OK?" Edward asks. "Are you OK with that?" he repeats hesitantly.

"Oh Edward," I say once I've finally found my voice, "I'm so, so, _so _OK with that." His face erupts in a big grin, and I wrap my hand around his neck to pull him in for a passionate kiss. I use my hands to frame his face, and then kiss his cheeks, eyelids, nose and forehead. My lips run along his jaw to his ear, where I bite his lobe and then speak with a whisper. "I fell in love with you during our first week. When I think back to a time when I didn't know you well, it seems like a lifetime ago. I know our relationship has developed quickly, but I feel closer to you than I've ever felt towards anyone. I'm not afraid my feelings won't last, but I am a little scared that you might not feel that strongly for me."

"Bella, that scares me too - not my feelings for you, but yours for me. I think it's a good sign that we could hurt each other so much, not because we will but because it means we matter to each other. I promise to take care of your heart, Bella, if you'll take care of mine."

"I'll treasure it always," I tell him sincerely as I place my hand over his heart. "I love you, Edward."

He kisses me on the lips, caressing his fingers over my heart. "I love you too, sweetheart, so much."

* * *

**A/N** - Hopefully I've done their first L-words some justice. Please review - I've written quite a few more chapters ahead, but want to slow down my posting in hopes this fic garners more reviews, which for better or worse attracts more readers. I love hearing what you think, even if it's critical (constructive, I hope). Also, in an effort to post, I've left in some embarrassing typos that I've tried to go back and fix. Apologies if I've hit on anyone's grammatical or misspelling pet peeve. This story does not have a beta or pre-reader, so all mistakes are mine alone.


	59. Chapter 59

"Oh, hey!" Edward says. "What are Em and Rose doing here?"

We're in the lobby of the restaurant. Against the windows in the distance I can see Em sitting across a table from Rose.

"Em," Edward cries out, and he's rewarded with a huge grin from his brother when Emmett looks over and sees our crew. He rises from the table, offering a hand up to Rose who walks with him to where we're standing. Emmett's arm is wrapped around her shoulders, and while I don't know them well I can't help but cheer internally that they seem to be back together.

"Hey, Edward. What are you doing here?" Em asks as he gives Edward a one-arm hug.

"Hi Edward. Hi Bella," Rose says softly. I reach forward to hug her, so happy to see them together and forgetting we're not close friends. She stiffens but then wraps her arms around me and hugs me back.

"We're spending the weekend here with Alice and Jasper," Edward answers. "Em, do you remember Jasper Whitlock? We went to high school together and he was on the baseball team with me."

"Sure. How are you Jasper?" Emmett asks.

"Great, Emmett. Nice to see you. This is my wife, Allie," Jasper says as he pulls Allie to his side.

"Do you prefer Allie or Alice?" Em asks her as he shakes her hand.

"Either, as long as it's not said in vain," she laughs.

"Do people use your name as a curse word often?" Em chuckles.

"Only Bella. She gets exacerbated with me, but I love her anyway because she's such a loyal friend. Are you guys staying here, too?" she asks.

"We're staying at Emmett's parents' house a few miles down the road. We just came in for dinner tonight," Rose explains.

"And Rose has spa treatments tomorrow afternoon," Em adds.

"Really?! So do me and Bella. Hey Rose, you can hang out with us during our spa day!" she says enthusiastically.

Rose has never struck me as the girl-bonding type, so I'm surprised when she says it would be fun to hang out together. I smile at her and tell her sincerely, "It will be great to get to know you better, Rose. We had a lot of fun together at the Christmas party. Remember that horrible glue mess?"

"Not something you can easily forget," she smiles back at me. "The kids had a great time, though, so that's all that matters."

The hostess returns and offers to find a table that would also seat Em and Rose. They politely decline, explaining that they're half-way through their meal already. I suspect they want to keep their romantic night alone, and I squeeze Edward's hand at the thought. Edward gives both Em and Rose a hug as we part ways and follow the hostess to a table at the opposite end of the restaurant.

Once we're seated at our table and have ordered drinks and dinner, Allie asks, "What advice did you need, Bella?"


	60. Chapter 60

"I have never understood that whole 'coming out' thing, regardless of the announcement," Allie says. "Like, if you're gay, there's this expectation that you announce it to everyone. It's not like I approached my parents and said, 'mom, dad, don't freak out but I'm heterosexual.' So, I say, why announce anything?"

"You mean, just start acting like a couple at work?" I ask.

"Sure, why not? People will figure it out. I'm not saying you should start a full-on make-out session in front of people. Just act like you would in public."

I hold in a laugh, and Edward squeezes my hand under the table. Our version of public affection is apparently a little different from Allie's, though I think we've kept from being discovered.

"And office sex is kinky," Allie continues. "Edward, you have a door on your windowless office, right? You guys can get your freak on in there!"

"Allie!" I gape at her.

"What? It's sexy. Jasper and I found plenty of hidden spots around the airport when we were first together. Sometimes we'd only see each other for a couple of hours in between shifts - he'd be flying out and I'd be flying in. We were desperate, Bella!"

Jasper shuffles in his seat uncomfortably. He's never been able to contain Allie's over-share. With me it hasn't mattered, but I can guess that he's not sure what Edward thinks about this.

"I can understand that desperation, Alice," Edward assures her as he puts his arm around my shoulder and leans in to kiss my temple. "Bella's so beautiful and it's torture to keep my hands off her."

"Oh Edward, I approve of you _so_ much," Allie says with a wide grin. "Mr. Suave and Beautiful, for sure."

"See?" Edward says to me with a laugh. "Allie thinks I'm suave."

I pat his right cheek and kiss his mouth while I run my fingers into his hair, turning his head so I can bring my lips to his left ear and whisper, "Definitely suave. I _love_ your suave-ness. I _love_ everything about you."

"Still here, guys. Sitting right here, across from you, having dinner and conversation," Alice scolds but with kindness.

I turn back to face her, my grin wide as I say, "OK, so I take it that affection wouldn't have been appropriate behavior at work, then?"

"So, that whole announcement to your parents asking for their permission to marry you..." Jasper finally speaks. "Not necessary afterall? I wish I'd known that then. I was a nervous wreck."

"Sweetie, that wasn't an announcement. That was you being wonderful, making sure my parents approved of you and asking to be welcomed into the family."

"Good to know, Allie," Jasper says to his wife softly before he gives her a sweet kiss. "Edward, take note," he says as he turns back around and nods his head at Edward.

Wait, what?


	61. Chapter 61

Edward sits on the end of the bed and pulls me to sit between his legs. He tells me to lift my arms so he can undo the side zipper of my dress, which gapes open when he's done. My dress is fitted in the bust with built-in support, so I'm not wearing a bra underneath. Edward snakes his hand in to cup my breast, teasing my nipple.

"Beautiful, beautiful breasts, Bella," he says as he kisses my neck. His other hand snakes down to my thigh, inching up my dress and sliding his hand over my skin. "Your skin is so soft, sweetheart," he says at my ear. "You're my dessert tonight." His hand slides into my panties and his fingers stroke my folds. "Always so wet." Edward pulls out his hand and brings it to his lips, and I can hear him sucking his finger near my ear. "Stand up, sweetheart," he asks gently with his hands on my waist.

I rise from the bed and Edward stands behind me, pulling my dress over my head. He turns me around and sits back on the bed, pulling my panties down my legs. "So beautiful, Bella. I love you so much, sweetheart." he says as his hands rub up my torso to cup my breasts and he places a gentle kiss against my belly. Edward glances to the window bench, rises and then leads me by the hand to sit down with my legs splayed.

"Edward, get undressed. You're beautiful, too. I want to see you." I tell him.

Edward slowly undoes his belt, his button, and his zipper, exposing his boxer-clad bulge. He toes off his shoes and socks, then pushes down his jeans and boxers and uses his feet to push them out of the way. His shirt and jacket hang down, covering his ass and his cock.

"Take it all off, Edward," I say as I reach out to unbutton his shirt from the bottom up. Edward shucks his jacket, then starts on his shirt from the top down. As I undo the lower buttons, his erection bounces against my hand so I stop and spread the shirt tails wide to bring him into my mouth. I suck in hard, hollowing out my cheeks as I pull back and letting my teeth graze just slightly on the underside of his dick.

Edward draws in a sharp breath while thrusting his hips towards my mouth and unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. He pulls it off his shoulders, the fabric getting stuck at his wrists. "Shit," he says as he quickly undoes the buttons there. I grab his ass with my hands while I bob my head up and down, pulling back to lick him around the tip where he's dripping with pre-cum. "Fuck, Bella, wait a minute. I'm going to come too fast if you do that. Shit, shit, shit" he says when I go in for another hard suck and squeeze his ass cheeks. "Edward puts his hand on my head and urges me back. He pops through my lips, bouncing in front of my face.

"Close your mouth, sweetheart," Edward asks. "Keep it closed." He grabs his cock and rubs just the tip over my lips, back and forth, back and forth. "This is such a beautiful sight."

Suddenly Edward drops to his knees, pushes my knees wide and brings his tongue to my pussy for a long slow lick, ending at my clit. The bench is tall, so he doesn't have to bend much and I can see his tongue working me over. His lips close around my clit, which he sucks while using his tongue to tap repeatedly. "Holy shit!" I shout. I writhe up from the bench, my hips pushing into his face. He uses an arm on my thigh to push me back down and keep me on the bench. I can't stop writhing though - he's bringing me to orgasm so quickly. It's not fair. I wanted to do this to him, to show him how much I love him.

"Oh fuck, fuck, Edward, fuck!" I groan as my pelvis arches off the bench despite his arm, grinding into his face. Edward doesn't stop and my orgasm keeps coming. "Fuck, it's too much, Edward. Fuck, fuck," I say as he continues to lick my clit and also inserts two fingers that curl inside my pussy. His arm that was on my thigh has given up keeping me down, and slides instead to play with my nipple, squeezing it as he continues his finger-fucking, clit-sucking torture. "Oh god, Edward." I think I'm going to black out. My vision blurs and my whole body starts shaking. My breathing is frantic. I hear a scream and realize it's coming from me, and then Edward pulls out his hand and moves his mouth away from my core. I'm still spasming hard, shaking from head to toe in the most intense orgasm of my life. I feel like I've had a heart attack, my breathing is so labored.

When I gain some presence of mind, Edward has his hands on my hips, gazing at me with wonder. His chest is covered with a sticky substance. "What just happened," I ask through a pant?

"Bella, I think I just made you ejaculate," he says incredulously. "This has to be the single-most satisfying sexual experience of my life, and I didn't even get off. Holy shit, sweetheart."

"What? What does that mean? Did I pee on you or something?" I'm so embarrassed, but also completely blissed out. How can that be?

"No. No, it can happen. Women can squirt in a really, really strong orgasm. I don't think it's common - really really rare, actually. But damn, Bella, you've made me feel like a sexual superhero," he says with a wide grin.

* * *

**A/N** - Lucky Bella. :-) That's it for today. Please review.


	62. Chapter 62

**A/N** - I won't have the opportunity to post tomorrow, so this is tomorrow's update a little early.

* * *

The exhaustion is intense - I can barely keep my eyes open. Edward lifts me from the bench, carrying me bridal style to the bed. "Lay down, sweetheart. I'm going to run a bath for us."

Edward walks to the bathroom and I notice he's still erect. Between the bathroom and the bedroom is a sliding wood door over the tub, which he slides wide so we can see into the bath from the bed. He starts the water, then gets a wash cloth wet and cleans his chest. I take it all in through hooded eyes, sleep threatening to overtake me. I still want to make him feel good so I fight my tiredness. Edward rinses the cloth and walks back to me on the bed, running the wet cloth across my torso and between my legs. As the water cools on my skin, it makes me more alert and I sit up in the bed to kiss Edward's lips. He sits down beside me, caressing my collarbone with his fingers.

"How are you feeling?" he asks with concern. The pulsing inside my core has finally subsided, and my energy is returning.

"Exhausted."

"What was it like? Can you describe it?"

I don't know if I can, but I want to try. He's in awe of this experience, and truthfully so am I. "The build up was intense. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, or that I'd black out," I try to explain. "When I screamed, it was like an out-of-body experience. I didn't know where the sound was coming from at first. Imagine all the muscles in your body, including ones you can't normally control, convulsing at the same time for a prolonged period. It's the most intense pleasure, but maybe a little uncomfortable too because you can't stop it. Then, all your muscles suddenly go slack except for those in your core, which continue to pulse for minutes afterwards. The spasms have only just stopped for me, actually. Now, my body feels like jelly."

"Did you enjoy it? I can't tell if you liked it or if it was painful," Edward asks with concern.

"Edward, it was incredible." I kiss him sweetly on the lips. "I'm still in shock that it happened and it's left me physically drained. I'm sorry if my words are failing me."

"Maybe a warm bath will help. Come on, let's sit in the tub. We can watch a movie or something," Edward says as he takes my hand and leads me to the bathtub, grabbing the television remote along the way.

Edward settles into the double jacuzzi tub and I sit across from him, our legs twining together along the side. "Do you want the jets?" he asks.

"No, this is nice, just soaking." I grab his leg and start massaging the ball of his foot. I can see under the water that he's still erect. My hands glide up and around his calf, massaging the muscles between his ankle and his knee. Edward leans back and closes his eyes, sighing as I take away tension. He gently runs his left thumb over the arch of my right foot. I pull my feet back and get up on my knees between his legs, running my hands up his thighs. His hips rise minutely from the bottom of the tub, though I've not come close to touching his cock.

"Edward, open your eyes." When he does, I lean down to kiss his lips. "I want to make you feel good," I say in a husky voice. "Does this feel good?" I move one hand to cup his balls, the other playing with the hair that trails between his belly button and his cock. Edward's erection bobs against my hand, but I don't want to intentionally touch him there yet.

"Bella, every touch from you feels good."

"But does it feel amazing?" I ask huskily. His hands come out to cup my breasts, and he leans forward to take one into his mouth. I arch my back as his tongue licks around my erect nipple. He kisses up my neck to my ear, biting my lobe and plunging his tongue inside. In a breathy moan, Edward whispers, "I want to fuck these breasts some day - get myself off by rubbing my cock between your cleavage."

He's panting as I continue to tug on his balls, then I grab his cock and squeeze hard. I mimic his action, biting his lobe and breathing hard into his ear. "Some day could be today, Edward. It could be right now, right here in this room." I step out of the tub, grab a towel and the hand lotion, and leave a trail of water from the bathroom to the bed.

The covers will just get in the way, so I pull everything back to the top sheet and toss the comforter to the corner of the room. Edward scrambles out of the tub, his erection bouncing as he walks purposely towards me. I lay down on the towel, squeeze a liberal amount of lotion between my breasts, then use my hands to rub it between my cleavage.

"Fuck, Bella. You're so incredibly beautiful, so adventurous, so naughty. Give me the lotion, sweetheart." Edward squirts it onto his palms, which he rubs over his dick. I get into that action, too, and twist my hand as I pull up to his tip. "Ready, sweetheart?" he asks as he climbs onto his knees and straddles my ribs, placing his dick between my breasts.

I press my breasts together, squeezing Edward's cock in my cleavage. He looks down and groans as he thrusts his hips forward and back, forward and back. "Fuck, this is so erotic, sweetheart. I love this." Edward places one hand on the side of my breast over my hand, the other flat on the mattress above my head. I maneuver my hand out from under his, and make a circle with my thumb and forefinger at the top of my breasts. The head of his cock pushes through my fingers and I squeeze tightly, causing Edward to groan loudly. I angle my neck awkwardly to see his cock slide between my breasts, his tip swollen and pink and eyeing me with each thrust through my fingers.

It doesn't take long before Edward's grunting out loud. "Fuck, Bella, I'm coming. Fuck, fuck," he says as he begins to squirt from his tip. I see three long sprays erupt from his cock, then a fourth and fifth spurt less strongly. My neck is sticky, but I'm happy I could do this for him. Edward is panting hard above me and has released the pressure against my breast. I use my hands to run my fingers up his thighs before Edward lifts one knee and spins to plop down on the bed beside me, facing the same direction as me. He runs a hand down my belly, over my pubic hair, and down my thigh to my knee. The cloth that he had used to clean me earlier is on the bedside table. He reaches back and over me to grab it, folding the material to create a clean rag and rubbing it over my neck.

"I think we need another bath," he says gently. "Bella, you're wonderful. I love you. I'm so glad I can tell you that now. I love you, I love you, I love you," he tells me as he kisses my lips, my chin, and my earlobe. "Happy two-week anniversary, sweetheart."

I glance at the clock that reads 12:07. "Two weeks and one day," I say with a smile.

* * *

**A/N** - So, not the typical missionary-style-face-to-face-after-the-L-word sex. These two are too adventurous for that, and anyway, what each did was selfless pleasure for the other.


	63. Chapter 63

I'm sore the next day, practically limping to the spa registration desk. Edward was very sweet to me this morning, feeding me room-service eggs and toast. I laughed through the experience, telling him I was perfectly capable of using a fork by myself but he wouldn't let me have it. At least I got to hold my own orange juice glass. I'm trying to think of a payback, imagining it will involve fruit and melted chocolate and Edward's body.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan. I have a 1:00 pm appointment for a 90-minute massage," I say to the receptionist as Allie saunters in, walking a little funny herself.

"Oh Bella, I can really use this today," she smirks at me. "We got quite the work-out last night and this morning."

"This is Alice Whitlock," I tell the receptionist. "She also has a 1:00 pm appointment."

"Has a Rose checked in yet?" Allie asks.

"Rose Cullen," I add. "She's a friend."

"Rose is already with the therapist. She finishes her massage at 1:30, then has a pedicure. Oh, and a facial about the same time as you ladies. You'll all have about 45 minutes between the first treatments and the facials."

Allie and I complete our check-in forms while she continues explaining the services. "You're welcome to use the spa facilities today until we close at 7:00 pm. There's a steam room and sauna, and the women's locker room has a clothing-optional soaking tub. There's also a public hot tub and pool through those doors if you've brought your suits. Follow me and I'll get you situated with robes and slippers."

My massage is mostly relaxing. I wince into the headrest and suck in a sharp breath when the therapist puts pressure on the side of my breast as she pulls through muscles across the side of my torso. "I'm just a little sensitive there," I tell her.

"Do you have a bruise there, Bella?" she asks kindly. God, I hope not - I have a feeling Edward would freak.

"Um, I don't think so. But maybe you can avoid that area today."

"I'll give you some arnica to put on that area. It'll help reduce swelling if you've bruised yourself there."

That would be helpful. Hopefully it's _not _noticeable, though. "Thank you," I say sincerely.

In between my appointments, I lounge in my robe waiting for Allie and Rose to join me in the sitting area. I drink my cucumber mint water and browse through the magazines, settling on a Cosmo. It opens to the most-read page, an article about what men really want in bed but are afraid to ask their partners to do. I used to think articles like this were fantastical - something to drum up sales but not based in reality. Since Edward, I'm reconsidering that idea. At least he has no trouble telling me what he wants. Top of the list, "anal sex." Third down, "fucking your tits." Also on the list, "reverse cowgirl." Hmm, that's one we haven't tried, or have we? The dining room chair and car sex experiences might fit that description, though Edward was sitting with me on his lap. Not on the list but described in a call-out box is a threesome, which Cosmo says most guys don't want despite myth to the contrary. I find that hard to believe, at least a threesome with two girls and a guy. I'm not into it, but I wonder if Edward is. Maybe it's like anal sex - we can agree to disagree. At least a threesome is one I know he hasn't tried before, unless he's not counting being in midst of girl-on-girl action as part of his sexual partner count.

"What'cha reading there?" Rose says over my shoulder. I slam the magazine shut and feel my skin burn with a blush. "I'm just giving you a hard time, Bella. Cosmo is great for a little perspective. But it's also so over the top, making it sound like everyone is doing everything. Don't believe it. Get your freak on with Edward however _you_ want, not the way some magazine tells you."

"Who is getting their freak on?" Allie asks as she enters the lounge.

"Edward and Bella, clearly," Rose says with a smirk.

"Can we not talk about my sex life? It's embarrassing enough as it is."

"We'll come back to that embarrassing comment later, Bella. Right now, I need to tell you that Jasper was an animal last night."

"Really?" Rose asks with absolute, serious interest.

"Yes," Alice says intensely. "I couldn't walk straight this morning. We fucked five times, each in a different position. That man has stamina!" she says through a yawn. "Oh, and this one position? I saw stars!"

Rose clearly wants details, and Allie starts sharing. I've heard her mention their sex life before, though never this graphically. I'm not sure what's gotten into her.

"The best part though, is we're trying to make a baby!" Allie squeals.

"Wow, Allie. That's wonderful!" I give her a big hug and grin back at her dreamy expression.

Rose suddenly goes quiet, and I notice her wipe a tear from her eye.

"Rose, are you OK? Was it something I said?" Allie asks. I rub Rose's upper arm, then put my arm around her shoulder. She takes several shaky breaths and looks up at us with watery eyes.

"Sorry. I know, um, I know we don't know each other well..." Rose stammers.

"No...no, Rose, it's OK," I say. "You're with friends."

"Thank you, Bella. I don't have many female friends. Not any close ones, anyway. I could have used that a couple of months ago."

"Did something happen? Are you OK?" I ask, sensing she needs to tell someone her story.

"I can't have a baby," she says as a tear slips down her cheek. I squeeze my arm tighter around her shoulders. "Em and I tried for months. We even did IVF. The hormones really messed with my emotions, and then it was all for nothing. We didn't get pregnant."

"Oh Rose, I'm so sorry. I'm sure Em was supportive. He's such a good guy."

"He was, Bella. But I pushed him away. I felt like a failure, you know? I've wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl. I love my job, but I'd give up work in a heartbeat to raise a child. Em and I planned to have kids right away. Now I don't know if we'll ever have children."

"Have you considered alternatives?" I ask gently.

"Em convinced me to try adoption. We've gotten a lawyer and will be starting our paperwork next week. I told him that if this doesn't work within a year, then we should just give up and acknowledge that it wasn't meant to be. It's too heartbreaking to keep trying and winding up disappointed."

"I think it can take a while, Rose. I hope you'll wait for things to happen for you - you and Em would be great parents. What about a surrogate. Is that an option?"

"I don't know, not for now. It's really expensive, and I haven't come to terms with the idea of another woman volunteering to grow my baby in her womb. I have no problem with others doing it. It's just...I guess I see adoption as different. It's like the child was meant to be _despite_ the birth parents' plans, and just needs to find his or her forever parents. It's like the universe screwed up, you know, and adoption makes it right again."

"I hope it all works out for you, Rose." Allie says sincerely. "There's a couple in my neighborhood who have the most amazing adopted children - one is from China and the other is from the States. The girls are only a few months apart - they're almost like twins the way they behave with one another. They don't look anything alike and neither resembles their parents physically, but you can instantly tell they're a family and that the girls are siblings."

"I definitely know people don't have to share a gene pool to be family," she says with a smile. "If you think about it, the most important and closest person in anyone's life is usually his or her spouse - hopefully that's _not _someone from the same gene pool. The relationship that develops there is testament to how a bond can be formed with a child regardless of genetics."

I give Rose a two-armed hug and tell her she's brave to face this head on. I haven't thought about whether or not I'm able to have children, always assuming it's a simple matter of finding a husband and making a baby. When I consider Rose's situation, I know I'd be disappointed if building a family turned out to be more complicated than my simplistic view of the process. I wonder if I'll want a child if I'm still single by the time I'm in my mid-thirties. How would I deal with that, even if I could get pregnant? For the first time since Jacob, I allow myself to think that just maybe I won't be single.

"Bella, you're blushing. What are you thinking about?" Allie asks.


	64. Chapter 64

We've moved our girl party to the soaking tub in the women's locker room because the hot water sounded appealing but none of us felt like doning our suit. Our faces are moist, red from our facials but at least we match.

"Holy shit, Bella. What happened to the side of your chest?" Allie asks loudly.

"Shh. Allie there are other people in here. Please keep it down. It's just a little bruise."

"Not so little, Bella, and it's in the shape of Edward's fingers," Rose says with a smirk. "I'd say he was tittie fucking you."

"What?! Oh god, Edward is going to freak."

"Just put some powder on it. Oh, and arnica helps," Rose explains. "Really, men get so strung out about our bodies. I bet you had fun, though, and it was worth it, right Bella?" I can't believe how matter-of-fact she is about this stuff. I'm not used to talking so freely about my sex life.

"Um, yeah, it was fun."

"Oooh, Bella, tell us more!" Allie cackles. "Rose, last time I saw Bella she told me that Edward makes her breathless. They couldn't keep their hands off each other during brunch. _Serious_ sexual electricity between those two!"

"So, what's with your 'embarassing' comment, earlier?" Rose asks. "Sounds like you're doing just fine. I'm happy for Edward. He's always been so uptight - probably just needed to get laid," she laughs.

I'm instantly upset on Edward's behalf. Afterall, Cosmo has given me perspective - I'm living a reality Rose thinks is over the top. So take that, Rose Cullen! "Edward's fantastic, Rose, and best of all generous. He's also the most sexually adventurous person I've ever been with," I say defensively. She doesn't need to know he's only the second person I've been with.

"Sorry, Bella. I really did mean it when I said I was happy for you and Edward." After a pause she adds, "So, did Esme tell you yet how she and Carlisle got caught fucking in her office?"

"Oh my gosh, that's one of my most embarassing evenings ever!" I whisper.

"Do tell!" Alice says.

"Yes, yes," Rose adds.

What the hell, clearly this is a day of sharing. "Um, well, Esme found some evidence of me and Edward in their house. We had to drop off something that Edward had borrowed and, um, got a little frisky." I say quickly, running my words together.

"What evidence?" Rose asks.

"Um, the sticky kind?"

"Eww. How did they know it was from you, though?" Allie asks.

Oh, yeah. Good question. How did they know it was ours and not from a burglar, or from Emmett. And how did they even know it was semen and not some other sticky substance - I mean, it's not that obvious, is it? This has never occurred to me!

"Probably from the security cameras," Rose explains.

Oh no, please no! Oh no, no, no, no.

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**A/N** - Poor Bella. And now Edward will definitely freak. Please review, in fact if you review within the next 24 hours, I will send you the next chapter by PM if you've enabled that feature. Thanks!


	65. Chapter 65

"Rose, how did I not know there were security cameras?!" Edward nearly shouts.

"Edward, calm down. I installed them for your parents when you lived in Chicago. No one thought to _ask_ _your permission_. There was a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood. It just made sense."

"Where are they, Rose. Where are the cameras!" He's going to hyperventilate.

"Shh, calm down, Edward. What's done is done." I try in a soothing tone while rubbing my hand up and down his back. He's still tense, and my gesture doesn't seem to be helping.

"Everywhere. But mainly pointed at the exterior doors and windows, from both inside and outside the house, and also aimed at any valuables."

"Is there one on the pool table area?"

"Um, let me think. Is that where they have the huge painting from that local artist they love? Shit, what's that person's name?"

"Rose, is there or isn't there?"

"Yeah, it's aimed at the wall where that ridiculous painting hangs. I don't know what your mom sees in that artist! Looks like fruit exploded on the sidewalk, with a boot trudging through..."

"Rose!"

"What? I'm just saying."

"Focus, please focus," Edward implores.

"Right, ok, well the camera for that artwork is near the staircase - captures that whole area, come to think of it." Rose says. I know she's trying to be helpful, but really, at this point she should just lie.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, shit, shit, shit!" Edward pants.

"Edward, calm down. It doesn't matter," I try again.

"Bella, they've got us by the basement door. On the pool table. And probably in the kitchen if it was aimed in the direction of the doors to the deck!" Edward explains, his voice raising to a shout with each point.

"Eww, in the kitchen? What did you do there?" Rose asks.

"Nothing, Rose," I assure her. "We were just talking."

"Is there one in the bedrooms, in my old bedroom?" Edward asks.

"Shit guys, what did you do, christen every surface? No, there's not one in your old bedroom."

"Rose, this is serious! My parents have me and Bella on tape!" He takes a deep breath before continuing. "Do the cameras capture only video, or do they record audio too? It's bad either way."

"You don't want to know."

"Fuck!"

"Look, Edward, please let it go," I plead. "I'm embarrassed, too, but there's nothing we can do about it now. Please, Edward, just calm down. You're scaring me a little."

He turns to look at me, eyes wide, then pulls me into a hug. "You're my rock, Bella. Just stay here, in my arms. I'll calm down, I promise. You're not freaked out about this?" he asks.

"I already had my freak-out in the spa, but I'm resigned to it now. I think this calls for alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. Let's get shit-faced. Or at least tipsy," I say with a smile as I reach up to kiss his chin. Edward smiles down at me and kisses me soundly on the lips.

"OK!" Rose says. "That sounds like a plan. I'll call Em and we can join you guys in the bar. And, look, I promise to help you get the tapes when we get home. Bella, you and I can have a stealth mission to visit Esme next week. She's a funny drunk, and gets easily distracted. I'll get her to invite us for lunch. You can ply her with rum and cokes while I remove the files from their server."

Oh, this sounds fun!

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**A/N** - A stealth mission - that does sound fun!


	66. Chapter 66

"So it's settled," Em says as he wraps his arm around Rose's waist at the bar. "They had a cancellation and we're the lucky couple who gets the room." Rose grins widely, then turns on her seat and jumps down from her stool to give Emmett a hug and a wet kiss, pushing her tongue into his mouth. Em kisses back, but laughs a little through the affection. "Oh baby, I can see you've had a couple of cocktails already," he says with a smirk. "We're going to have so much fun tonight." Em slides one hand down to Rose's ass and squeezes, his other going up the side of her torso.

Seems both Emmett and Edward are ass men. Rose twists in Emmett's arms and grinds her ass against him. I'm shamelessly ogling their display, not because I want to intrude but because I'm so happy they're back together. And also because I've had my own two cocktails, and am feeling too tipsy to concern myself with propriety by granting them the privacy they deserve.

Edward turns my chin towards his face. "Hey, sweetheart. Something on your mind?"

"No, I'm just so haaaapy," I grin at him. "It's soooo great that Em and Rose are back together."

Edward leans in to kiss my lips. His eyes look a little watery. "Oh, Bella," he says softly and privately. "I love you."

"I love you too, Edward Cullen," I say loudly.

"Woohoo!" Allie screams. "All right, Bella - tell him like you mean it! Jasper, I love you sooooo much."

"What is this, a love fest?" Rose asks. Even in her drunken state she's a little snarky. "Emmett, you are the best man in the world to put up with my antics. I love you more than words can express, so I'll just have to show you with my body. Later, but not too much later." OK, maybe not snarky.

The guys all stare at each other, then erupt in laughter.

"That is so not cool, Jasper Whitlock! I bare my heart and soul in this liquid lounge and you stomp on it with laughter." Allie is really getting worked up over this. She hops off the bar stool, for what purpose I don't know, but Jasper takes no chance that she'll walk away from him. He grabs her around the waist and hoists her up, setting her back onto the stool and standing between her legs. He whispers something in her ear, running his hands down to her waist and back up her torso, over her breasts, and up to her face, framing it between his hands. Whatever Jasper has said works. Allie melts. Her body goes from tense to pliable, and her limbs fold around his torso to pull him in for a hard kiss. Jasper kisses back, and we all turn to give them some privacy.

"I'm sorry I chuckled," Edward says to me softly. "I don't think what you told me is funny at all. I love that you love me, and I'm so fucking proud that our friends know it, too." he smiles at me. Wow, Edward is giving Jasper a run for his money. I gaze all dreamy at him while Edward takes my hand and holds it on his lap.

Drinking makes me horny. He's in dangerous territory with this hand placement. I slide up my hand to his crotch, but he grabs it and places it on the bar. "Oh, Bella, what I wouldn't give to be in a private place with you right now," he whispers into my ear. "Later, once you're so worked up from this sexual tension, I'll make you see stars, sweetheart." I'm breathing hard through his words, and getting wet. When I squirm on my chair, Edward brings his hand down to my legs, which are crossed. He pushes his fingers between them, pressing all five against the seam over my clit as he slides his hand into position between my legs, nearer my knees.

"This is familiar," I tell him breathlessly.

"Nothing is familiar about this, sweetheart," Edward says as he squeezes his hand over my leg. Keeping his hand in place, Edward manages to scoot his bar stool closer to me, so that his front is against my back and his legs clamp around my own. I can feel the bulge in his pants against my backside. Edward puts his arm around my waist, able to maneuver me against him better this way and grind my ass against his erection. "Feel that?" Edward asks into my ear. I nod my head and bring a hand down to his knee, running it up and down his thigh. "That's going to fill you so full, sweetheart. And do you know why this is different?" he asks but doesn't wait for an answer. "Because we love each other. We're going to make love to each other tonight. Slow and gentle or fast as fuck, I don't care, but when I fill your pussy with my cock, it will be body and soul coming together. You're my everything, Bella."

I have no idea what Jasper said to Allie, but I'm certain that he's got nothing on Edward.

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**A/N** - Love hearing what you think.


	67. Chapter 67

"OK, I've had enough of you lot," Em says with Rose in his hands.

We've all had at least three more drinks, and the public displays of affection have gotten more and more risqué. Good thing this bar is deserted or we might have been thrown out by now. Em has one arm around Rose's waist, his fingers dipping deep into the waistband of her pants, and his other arm over her shoulder with his hand palming her bra-clad breast underneath the V of her sweater. Rose's hand is pushed behind and between them, obviously gripping Em between his legs. Her other hand is also wrapped behind her, squeezing Emmett's ass. It's amazing that none of us think anything is inappropriate about this.

"I'll get the bill," Edward says. "Tonight is on me. Bella loves me. That's enough to celebrate and I'm glad you guys could be part of our love." He's had a few drinks too. Edward gets sappy when he drinks. I get horny. It's a good combination because his sappiness makes me hornier."Bella, sweetheart," he says as he grabs me around the waist with one arm and kisses my neck, his other hand gripping my ass hard, "I'm in love with you." I wrap my leg around one of his, trying to get friction, and shamelessly grind against his thigh.

"Me too, Edward. I'm in love with you too." We spend some time kissing, tongues colliding and hips thrusting and grinding.

I break away to breathe and see Allie and Jasper in the booth directly across from the bar stools. Allie's hovering over Jasper with one hand on his crotch, the other on his neck. He's thrusting into her hand, kissing her deeply and using his hands to pull out the tails of her shirt from her pants.

I have two thoughts. One, that Rose and Allie get to palm dicks and I'm not doing that. Poor Edward. Poor me. And two, maybe this is going too far.

"Edward, let's go. Pay the bill so you can take me back to our room and make love to me like you promised," I whine.

He kisses me twice on the lips. "I will, Bella. Oh, sweetheart, I will." he says reverently. See? Sappy. But damn if that doesn't make me hornier.

"Allie," I shout. Jasper seems to be unbuttoning the bottom of her shirt. "Allie, get it together. We're leaving."

Jasper sits up, suddenly aware of his surroundings again. They both scramble to adjust themselves, slide out of the booth, and rush out the door. "See you guys later," Allie calls out as she hurries past.

Hmph. Well now that we're alone I feel a little more sober while Edward settles the tab. I look around the bar and notice we've closed the place out, with only the bartender and a waitress cleaning up tables.

"Have a good night," the bartender smirks. "I'm sure it'll be a fun one. Are you guys part of a swinger's club or something?"

Seriously?!


	68. Chapter 68

**A/N** - It's Sunday and I'm in the mood to share, so two updates today. Plus, I kind of cock-blocked with that last chapter, and that just isn't nice. This story is all about the nice, and I want to make people happy. :-)

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Edward flops on the bed, pulling at my clothes while trying to manage his own. He's all thumbs, and clearly still drunk. I've sobered up a little, but not enough that I don't find his antics funny. "Off, Bella. We need to get these damn clothes off us," he says frustrated. "What's wrong with these jeans? They won't unzip!" He's trying to unzip my jeans, but has one hand on my zipper and the other on his own button. He can't get the tension to unzip my pants.

"I'll do it sweetheart," I say gently as I push his hands away and slide down first my zipper and then his.

"Say it again," Edward mumbles when he falls against the mattress.

"Say what?" I ask as I pull his pants down his legs.

"You called me sweetheart. Say it again."

"You like that, sweetheart?" I'm now unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it back from his chest.

"I _love_ it. I love you, Bella, sweetheart, beautiful, love." I slide down his boxers. He's erect and his penis springs free when the elastic pulls past. "Ouch, that hurt," Edward pouts. "Kiss it and make it better." He's so sappy that I can't help giggling. "It's not funny!" Edward insists. "Say it again."

"Sweetheart." I say as I kiss the tip of his cock. "Lover," I lick around his head then run my lips down the underside of his cock. "Superman," I whisper as I take one of his balls into my mouth and swirl it with my tongue. Edward's hips rise up off the bed. He's managed to unbutton the arms of his shirt, which he discards so he can rest on his elbows to watch me.

"Do you like this, sweetheart?" I ask him. I kiss his cock from his balls to his tip, then take him into my mouth deeply. Edward groans out a yes, and I hum back in response. His hips rise again from the mattress. I know he loves vibration!

I pull my mouth off his cock to concentrate on getting naked. Edward flops back on the bed and closes his eyes. When I've discarded my clothes, I run my hands up his thighs, grip his hip and curl my fingers into his backside. I slide my hands up the side of his back, around his chest, and up his neck to his face. Edward's eyes have remained closed and there's a smile on his face. He sighs deeply, then lifts a hand from the bed and places it on my neck, pulling my face down to his. He kisses me lazily, moving in slow motion to run his other hand up my torso, over my breast, up my neck and into my hair.

When we pull back to breathe, Edward opens his eyes but I can see tiredness there. He's fighting sleep, but clearly still aroused. I straddle his hips and sink down onto his erection. I take his hands from my head and entwine our fingers, pushing his hands back on the bed for leverage so I can rock back and forth on his cock. This is the slowest we've ever made love, our bodies too tired from alcohol and the weekend's antics.

I kneel upright, halting my movement and disentangling my fingers from Edward's hands with a sigh, just concentrating on feeling the fullness of him inside me. He closes his eyes again, but runs his hands up my thighs to my ass and encourages me to move again. As I muster the energy to fuck him harder, Edward brings a hand to my clit, rubbing where we're joined. I palm a breast with one hand and use my other hand to help Edward stimulate my clit. Edward still has his eyes closed, and I shut my own in tiredness. I want to come. I'm close, but not quite there yet.

My mind goes to our date at the winery concert, where Edward whispered in my ear that he wanted to undress me while palming my breast under the blanket. I think of the car sex, more specifically our car-door sex, his strong legs holding me upright as he fucked me hard against the Volvo while the line of cars snaked in the distance. The scene of our recent car experience comes to mind, when Edward had me use the vibrator as we drove through town. Other vehicles passed on the road. Truck drivers, with their higher seat beds, might have been able to see into the windows of Edward's car despite the tinted glass. When I imagine turning on the vibrator while in the car, playing out the scene differently than it occurred, I come hard in the car in my mind, and violently around Edward's cock in reality. Reality is so much better.

Edward must feel my muscles clench around him, because he moves both hands to my ass to grind against him while he thrusts up from the bed. I still have my eyes closed, coming down from my orgasm. We still, and I feel Edward's hands unclench from my ass and his body go slack beneath my legs. I open my tired eyes to see him underneath me, breathing slowly and deeply, and very gently snoring.

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**A/N - **It can't be hot and frantic all the time. Reviews make me happy.


	69. Chapter 69

I wake late and stare at the clock as the numbers turn over from 9:47 to 9:48, my eyes open but my body not yet ready to commit to rising. My head is pounding, and I'm cursing not taking aspirin and drinking a large glass of water before we fell asleep. Edward must be in worse shape than me - he started later and got drunker, so it's probably still in his system. I roll over expecting to see him in bed with me, but instead he's across the room, fully dressed, sitting stiffly upright in the desk chair. His expression is stern, but softens when he sees I'm awake.

"Good morning," I say brightly. "How's your head?"

Edward rises and moves to sit beside me, caressing my face and leaning in for a very light kiss on the lips. "I'm fine," he says curtly.

"Is everything OK?" I ask, as obviously something is bothering him.

"There are two aspirin tablets and water on the bedside table," he tells me in response. "Please take it."

This is weird. I sit up to take the aspirin, and Edward sucks in a breath and looks away. "What? What is it Edward?"

"Please Bella, just take the aspirin," he says without looking back to me. I do as he asks, then look around the room for a t-shirt or something else to pull over my head. He's making me feel uncomfortable being naked.

"Edward, can you bring me something to wear?" I ask as I pull up the covers around my chest.

"You don't want to take a shower first?" he asks gently.

"Um, well, I thought I could wear a t-shirt or something to the bathroom," I say embarrassed. It's so awkward between us this morning, and I can't help but think I did something wrong.

Edward sighs deeply. "Lay down, sweetheart."

I do as he asks, pulling the covers up high and turning on my side. He joins me on the bed, on top of the covers, spooning me in his arms gently.

"I'm so sorry I was selfish," Edward says. "I never wanted to hurt you."

He's scaring me. Did he go out and meet up with another woman this morning? What does he mean?!

"You're the most precious thing in the world to me. To think I could do that. It makes me feel physically sick, sweetheart. I'm so sorry, Bella, so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what, Edward? I don't know what you're referring to." Tears are threatening because this could be so, so bad.

Edward uses an arm on my shoulder to gently urge me to turn on my back. He slowly pulls back the covers from my neck, leaving the satin edge of the blanket just below my breasts. His finger runs back and forth over my collarbone, but I'm tense because he still hasn't explained why he's apologizing.

"Edward, I don't understand," I say with watery eyes.

He leans down to place a very light kiss at the top of my chest, another on the top of my right breast, and then a feather-light kiss on the side. "Is it very painful?" he asks.

Oh, the bruise. Is that all this is about? This is probably the first time he's noticed it - we were pretty out of it last night. "Edward, I'm fine, I promise. It looks much worse than it is. It doesn't hurt." I sit up and he winces, my chest on full display. There's a mirror above the dresser across the bed, and even from this distance I can see that the bruise looks worse than yesterday. But it doesn't hurt.

"Wow, that's hideous," I say without thinking, being more concerned about looking disfigured than registering that Edward is blaming himself for this. I regroup. "Edward, do you love me?"

"So, so much, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. Bella, I can't believe I did that to you."

"If you love me, then you'll listen to what I say and you will believe it. This is nothing, Edward. _We_ had an incredible night when this happened. Do you want to take that back, because if you do it'll break my heart a little?"

"Bella, I love the way we made each other feel. But I can't get past the fact that I manhandled you. I'm sick about that bruise."

"Edward, please. You're ruining my memory of a wonderful night. You didn't manhandle me. I willingly participated in the most intense sexual experiences of my life that night."

I get out of bed and rummage through my bag for a t-shirt, pulling it and some panties on before returning to Edward on the bed. I figure our conversation will be more successful if my bruise isn't on display. "Stay here," I tell Edward who is still sitting up on the bed, his back now against the headboard. "I'm going to use the bathroom, but I want to talk about this."

I use the toilet, wash my hands and face, and brush my teeth. My hair can wait, but it's tangled so I run my fingers through it and pull it into a loose pony tail.

Edward is still sitting against the headboard when I return. I crawl onto the bed and straddle his thighs. "Is this comfortable enough?" I ask as I settle my weight onto his legs. He nods but remains stiff.

His expression softens a little when I frame his face with my hands and kiss him lightly on the lips. I kiss his eyes, his cheek, and his jaw, running my fingers into his hair. Edward's hands go to my waist, and I hear him sigh and feel him relax his posture.

"That's better," I tell him. "Edward, I love you. There's no doubt in my mind that I love you with my heart and my soul and my body. Yes, with my body, too. Do you realize how many bruises I got trying to learn to ride a bike? I must have fallen 20 times before I figured out the balance. And I didn't love bicycle riding. I liked it, sure, but it was never something I couldn't wait to do when I got home from school."

Edward looks at me a little puzzled, like he's not sure what the point of my story is. Nevertheless, he leans in to kiss my lips once and begins to run his hands back and forth between my waist and upper thighs. I take hold of his hands and place them on my breasts, over my t-shirt.

"I _love_ having your hands on me, Edward. I get breathless thinking about it. Whenever we're apart for a while, I can't wait to get back to you and feel the complete joy of being close to you, knowing that no one else is allowed to touch me like this. His hands touch me lightly, but I let go of them and Edward keeps his hands on my breasts, his thumbs delicately brushing over my nipples. I arch my back into him, and use my knees to scoot my torso closer to his. When I wrap my arms around his torso, he brings his own around mine until we're wrapped tightly. "I don't want you to feel anything but joy about what happened in this room," I tell him. "For me, this will always be a magical place. Please don't ruin that for me, sweetheart."

He brings an arm out to pull my chin up, our lips meeting for soft, sensual kisses. "I love you so much, Bella. If anything happened to you, if I ever did anything to hurt you, it's just so..."

"Shh, Edward, shhh" I cut him off with a kiss. "You didn't hurt me. You won't hurt me. Think of my bruise as a very big hicky. It feels about the same - which means it doesn't hurt at all. It just isn't something I want others to see."

Edward brings his hand up to the side of my breast, cupping it and feeling its weight. He places a kiss on top, over my t-shirt. Then a kiss on my neck, then one on my ear. "I love you," he whispers simply.

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**A/N** - Would you forgive Edward? Tittie fucking is really not my thing - seems like it's all for the guy. Not sure I'd be quite as forgiving as Bella, though she did get her turn that night. :-)


	70. Chapter 70

Tuesday after work I get a call from Rose that she's arranged lunch with Esme for Thursday. That's my day off this week, since I have the Friday and Saturday tour schedule again. Luckily Rose arranged her own schedule to be off that day. This stealth mission is one I'm anxious to complete. Every day those videos remain accessible to Carlisle and Esme makes me anxious. I'm nervous enough just meeting with Esme again, knowing her awareness to our adventures at their house could be so much more detailed than originally imagined.

Edward calls after I hang up the phone with Rose. "Hi sweetheart. Can I swing by?" he asks.

"You're always welcome to swing by my place, Tarzan," I tell him sweetly, trying out another term of endearment.

"Um, no. Superman works, though," he laughs.

"Oh, so you do remember that part." I tease. "I couldn't be sure if I took advantage of you in an inebriated state."

"You can take advantage of me that way any time you'd like. Is there anything you need me to pick up for you before I see you tonight? I could get some ice cream, for instance, if you're in the mood to lick something. Or, you know, some popsicles you could suck? I love watching you lick and suck."

"Oh, really? Yes, well, pick them up and we'll see. But, I'm not sure I'm in the mood for anything cold. I like things hot, very, very hot."

"Are we still talking about dessert?" Edward asks. "Because Bella, I'm sensing that your mind has gone to a very dirty place. You should really check that at the gutter. Your sense of propriety is a little concerning, sweetheart."

"I'll keep that in mind," I say as I hear a knock at my door. "Hang on, someone's at the door."

I rise from the couch, look through the peephole, and see only a bouquet of flowers but not the person carrying them. "Edward, did you have flowers delivered to me?" I ask with a wide grin.

"No."

Hmm, weird. I open the door, behind which stands Edward grinning widely. "I delivered them myself," he says.

"Come in here," I tell him pulling him into my apartment. "These are beautiful, Edward. What's the occasion, not that you need one to give me flowers."

"One, it's Tuesday - seemed like something to do on a Tuesday. Two, I haven't seen you since Sunday. And three, I was hoping to get lucky," he laughs.

"You just might. Set those down, and then hop on the counter next to them."

Edward raises an eyebrow at me, but grins and hops onto the counter in the kitchen that abuts the breakfast bar where he's placed the flowers. I arrange them so both the flowers and Edward are in my imaginary photo vision, then turn imagination into reality with a picture using my phone. "Beautiful," I tell him as I look at my photo.

I grab his shirt and pull his mouth down to mine so I can kiss him in thanks. "Thank you for the flowers. I've missed you," I say with a breathy voice, running my hands up his thighs, my thumbs grazing the edge of his groin. Edward has changed into a t-shirt and shorts after work, having been busy the second of two days in a row with client meetings. We haven't been seen together at the office, and therefore haven't had the opportunity to "act like we would in public" and be open about our relationship.

Jess hasn't said anything, though she's smiled at me a few times with a knowing look. Mike's not worked since we saw him over the weekend. His schedule is only part-time while he juggles coursework towards a Master's degree in retail management at the University of Washington. Mike's dad owns a six-store sporting goods chain on the Olympic Peninsula, which is where Mike plans to settle when he's completed his degree. Wonder what Jess thinks of that plan.

Edward frames my face in his hands before leaning down to kiss me again. He sucks in my lower lip and bites it playfully. "I love this plump lower lip you have," he tells me. "It's just begging to be sucked."

"I think there was something else begging to be sucked," I tell him as I continue to rub my hands up and down his thighs, though now dipping them into his loose cargo shorts. I have plenty of access to his cock, which I palm with both hands through the legs of his shorts. He's going commando - that's new. "I like the access this clothing, and lack thereof, affords me tonight," I smirk at him.

"I like it too," Edward says. "Would you like more access?"

"Ooh, yes please."

Edward unbuttons and unzips his shorts, then shucks them down his legs after toeing off his sandals. His erection stands upright, eyeing me proudly. "Someone is very anxious for a good licking and sucking," I tell him.

"I'm happy to reciprocate any... oh god, that's good Bella," Edward finishes with a groan when I suck his tip into my mouth. I run my tongue around his head inside my lips, then relax my throat to take him deep inside. "Fuck!" Edward's hips rise up from the counter and his hands weave into my hair after he's settled back down. "Fuck, sweetheart. Shit that's good. Suck it. I love when you suck it. Shit, yeah, like that." He's panting and I can't believe I can get him there so fast. Too fast. I pull my mouth off his cock, licking around his head and kissing his tip before pulling away.

"I'm not done. Stay there," I tell him. Edward shucks his t-shirt while I head to the refrigerator. I grab a can of whipped cream and a tub of ice cream, putting them on the counter beside Edward, then reach back and grab an ice cream scooper from my utensils canister on the opposite counter. "Edward, remember when you fed me eggs on Saturday? I think it's payback time. I'm hungry for something cold tonight, after all," I explain. "But sadly, I think I'm all out of clean bowls and spoons. What's a girl to do?"

"I can think of a hot, hot way for you to clean that dirty mouth of yours with some very cold food," Edward says, then laughs. "Bella, it's too hard to keep up these cheesy lines. Get over here, sweetheart." He reaches from his spot on the counter to grab my arm gently, pulling me between his legs. "You're seriously overdressed," he tells me while trying to lift my shirt from my body.

"Uh, uh, uh," I reprimand him as I slink out of his arms. "Keep your hands to yourself. Flat on the counter." Edward shrugs his shoulders and raises an eyebrow, but does as I say.

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**A/N** - Please tell me what you think.


	71. Chapter 71

I've not thought through my plans for how I should approach this ice cream feast. Our Sunday morning was so serious and we remained so the rest of that day - this is the most carefree Edward's been with me since he woke up to my bruise. I don't want to lose this playful mood.

"OK, first things first. We need to acclimate you to the ice cream. How about we start with a little whipped cream - cold, but not frozen," I say with a smirk. Edward's cock bounces slightly in anticipation. I aim the whipped cream canister at his tip and spray. A puff of cold air sputters out, and Edward shrieks like a little boy.

"Sorry, sorry" I say with a laugh. It's hard not to find this funny, even though Edward now looks very apprehensive about this dubious plan. "I forgot to shake it."

"Here, give me that Bella. I'd like to know that it's good and ready before getting another blast." Edward shakes vigorously, then squirts it onto my shirt. "Oops, sorry. Accidental trigger finger. I guess you'll have to take that off now," he says with no tone apology what-so-ever. Edward pulls my tank top over my head before I can protest. I still have on my bra, but he sprays whipped cream into my cleavage, wiping a finger through the mess. "Oh no. Here, let me help you with that," he says as he leans forward.

I'm laughing as he licks off the cream from my cleavage, trying to get the canister from him but not able to reach far enough to his outstretched arm. "Just take it off, Bella. I'll relinquish the goods when you show me yours," Edward nods towards my chest.

"Fine," I huff without any conviction. I unclasp my bra and slide the straps down my arms, flinging it back towards the living room. Edward stealthily sprays a line whipped cream across my nipples, putting the canister behind him and out of immediate reach. "Oh, now that's much more appropriate attire," he says at my whip-cream covered breasts.

I reach around him and grab the canister, unintentionally rubbing my breasts against his stomach. "Doesn't Superman wear fancy pants?" I ask. "We need to do something about this wardrobe." I spray the whipped cream over his cock, and Edward shrieks again but not quite as loudly.

"Shit, not sure I like that," he laughs. "OK, minds can be changed," he adds as I start licking the head of his cock. He arches his hips off the counter, encouraging me to take him into his mouth. I give into his nonverbal request, grabbing his hip with one hand while reaching back for the ice cream scooper with the other. When I pull him from my mouth with a pop, I lick around his tip and then kiss his belly button.

"Edward, would you like me to suck?"

"I always love when you suck. Have at it," he smirks.

Without a pause, I grab the ice cream scooper and scrape it across the open quart of Ben & Jerry's Boston Cream Pie. "This is appropriate ice cream, though maybe it should be called 'Edward Cream Pie' if you're planning to cream with this feast," I laugh. He grabs the ice cream to read the label, and in his distraction I unceremoniously dump the scoop onto his tip.

"Ack!" he shouts. "Shit, that's cold," he laughs as the ice cream falls between his legs on the counter making a sticky mess. This isn't going exactly as I'd hoped, but we're both laughing so I decide it doesn't matter.

Edward grabs the ice cream scooper from my hand and prepares his own scoop, plopping it down my cleavage. It slides right down my chest to the floor, where I promptly step on it when I jump from the cold. I laugh while hopping on one foot, and Edward jumps over the ice cream scoop between his legs and off the counter. We're both sticky in places we'd rather not be. He picks me up at the waist and I wrap my arms around his neck, smooshing against his torso with my ice-cream and whipped-cream covered chest. Edward's mess hits me against my bare stomach and shorts, creating an all-around unpleasant feeling of stickiness.

When we get to the bathroom, Edward loosens his grip around my waist and my feet slide to the floor, dragging my torso further down his chest but also his groin up my stomach. "Shower," I tell him with a laugh. "We definitely need a shower."

* * *

**A/N** - The _idea_ of eating food off your partner is so much better than reality, unless you're going for laughs.

**A/N Two -** Busy, busy day tomorrow so I may not get a chance to post, hence this update early. If there are enough requests to post the next chapter, I'll do my very best to try to get that one up sometime tomorrow.


	72. Chapter 72

Surprisingly, our shower is quick and perfunctory. We dry off and wrap ourselves in towels, heading to the living room couch when we're finished. I flop down and stare at the kitchen, suddenly feeling very tired about the mess in there.

"Ugh," I groan. "I should probably clean that up before the ice cream melts completely. I'll just pay for it later if I don't take care of the mess now."

"Do you have a mop?" Edward asks.

"In the hall closet. Are you volunteering to tackle the floor?"

"Come on, you take the counter and I'll get the floor."

We clean up in minutes, and I can't help feeling a little disappointed that we didn't finish each other off earlier. It was fun and flirty, but Edward's now soft and I'm not as turned on. We did clean up in only our towels, though. I loosen mine to reposition and tighten it over my chest.

"No, don't do that," Edward quickly reacts. "Here, let me help you." He takes my hand and leads me back to the couch, taking my towel off and putting it down on the seat. He does the same for himself. "I declare a naked night," he says. "You're too beautiful to cover up with a silly towel, and I figure I can't ask you to do something I'm not prepared to do myself," he smirks as I notice his cock start to stir. "Plus, I can't deny that I'm still hoping to get lucky," he laughs gently.

"So am I," I say truthfully.

"But not yet. Come on, sit beside me on the couch. We can watch a little television."

So we do, me leaning against Edward with my hand on his cock stroking very softly, and Edward's arm on my shoulder with his fingers brushing gently over my nipple. I have cable, and we've been watching the end of a Showtime series that's not more entertaining than Edward's body, so the plot escapes me. When the hour turns over, an adult movie comes on and I move to flick the channel. "No, leave it here for a minute," Edward laughs. "This could be interesting."

"Are you into this stuff?" I ask.

"No, not particularly. But I'm kind of curious to see how you react to it," he smirks at me.

Based on the preview that airs before the movie starts, it's a silly romp about an airline owned by an heiress, who turns the financially troubled company around by turning it into a mile-high brothel for bachelor parties. "Wonder if Allie and Jasper have seen this one," I laugh. It's soft-core porn, so the acting is horrible, the sex scenes are contrived, and there's no genitalia shown. Nevertheless, I'm getting a little wet from it, though it could be from the attention Edward's giving my nipple and I'm giving his cock.

Edward pulls me onto his lap so I'm sitting sideways, then takes a nipple into his mouth. "You're so much more interesting than the television screen," he talks to my chest. I laugh but spread my legs when his fingers move up my thighs from my knees, and Edwards fingers glide through my wetness. "Oh Bella, I'd say something's having an effect on you."

"Yes, well, there's this very well-endowed man I'm sitting on. I like playing with his endowment," I say back.

"Well-endowed, huh?"

"Do you know what I want right this moment, Edward?" I ask without waiting for an answer. "I want you to fuck me over this couch. I'm all for sweet and silly, but we've had plenty of that tonight and I'm too worked up to drag this out."

Edward unceremoniously plops me off his lap onto the couch and stands up, but then gently wraps his arm around my waist and helps me stand. "I can get into that," he says as he positions me against the side arm of the couch and palms my ass.

Edward kisses my lower back and runs his hand between my legs to my pussy, rubbing my lips with his fingers while inserting his middle finger inside. He adds a second finger, then a third, and I wiggle on the couch arm in response. When he pulls out his fingers, he immediately plunges in his cock, and I use my hands on the cushions to push back against his thrust. Edward brings an arm around my waist to my clit, and starts rubbing while thrusting hard and fast. It's fantastic, so much better than the scene playing out on the television, where a female flight attendant is getting fucked in the first class lounge by a frat boy. Edward grunts through several thrusts and I can tell he's close, very close.

"Let go, Edward. I want you to come." I tell him through a pant. I don't think I will, but he's always so generous and I don't mind not getting off this time. He comes silently, running his hands up and down my back when he's done.

"Did you climax, Bella?" I knew he'd be concerned about this, but I won't lie.

"Edward, every time with you is fantastic. I don't need to have an orgasm to have a good time. I liked what we just did." He pulls out and grabs a towel off the couch to wipe us both down a little, but in my case not too much. I've moved into a standing position and Edward wraps his arms around my waist, one going up to palm my breast and the other sliding down to my pussy.

"Walk with me, Bella. Our fun isn't over." We awkwardly shuffle to the couch and sit down on the remaining towel there, me on Edward's lap with my legs splayed on either side of his. I rest my head against his shoulder, arching my back and giving him access to lean around and take my nipple into his mouth. "You have the most beautiful breasts, sweetheart," he says to my chest while also running a single finger around and around my clit. "I love your erect nipples. They're so much fun to lick." His tongue makes several sweeps over my nipple before he takes it in his mouth to suck. One hand is still on my other breast, which he squeezes and flicks with his thumb.

On the screen, ironically a similar scene is playing out. In the cockpit, a naked woman sits splayed on top of a naked pilot, who is rubbing her pussy and sucking her tit. Edward notices my eyes on the screen, looks up and says, "Oh Bella, you're so much more beautiful than that. I love that you're natural here, he says with a tug of my pubic hair. Fully shaved women are a little creepy in a pre-pubescent way." In fact I do shave a little, but mostly leave it be. I make sure my legs are smooth, and I care about my panty line, but I've never been one for the pain of waxing bare. I love that Edward likes me the way I am, though until this moment I haven't thought about it.

That and all other thoughts leave my mind when Edward uses two fingers to furiously rub my clit. I close my eyes tightly and start convulsing as an orgasm snakes through my body. My legs shake and my breathing becomes a pant. I finish with a groan as the muscles of my stomach clench and I push back against his torso to curl forward. As I breathe hard from my climax, Edward rubs one hand up and down my back. I lean forward and grab both his ankles while he continues to rub my back. Grabbing his knees for leverage, I to sit upright again, then slide off Edward's lap beside him and turn to kiss him on the cheek at the corner of his mouth.

"I love you," I tell him. "I haven't told you that today. I love you for more than giving me an orgasm," I smirk at him, "but that _was_ a very nice one. Thank you for that."

He pulls me into his side and I wrap my arms around his waist. "I love you too," he says with a kiss on my temple. We're quiet for a while before Edward speaks again. "Can I stay the night? I didn't bring any clothes, but I can wake early and head home to change before work. You won't mind if I'm not here when you wake?" he asks.

"You can always stay. Or we could grab a change of clothes for me and head back to your place tonight. I don't want to sleep without you, but I don't need to sleep here."

"I'm good with that plan, sweetheart" Edward says with another kiss to my temple.

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**A/N** - Reviews are always very appreciated!


	73. Chapter 73

On Wednesday morning I step out of Edward's car in the parking lot of Seattle Adventures. A few other employees are arriving at the same time. "This is it," I say aloud to myself. Edward joins me beside the car, having pulled his briefcase from the trunk.

"What's that, sweetheart?" he asks while putting an arm on my shoulder.

I lean into his side for support and strength, look up at him and smile. "Cat's out of the bag," I tell him.

"Yes, well we might as well go big, then," he says as he leans down to kiss me on the lips. I stiffen at first, then melt and wrap my arm around his waist.

When we pull away, Edward grabs my hand and squeezes it before letting go as we walk into the building. I notice Lauren look across the lot at us, her eyes wide.

"See you later," Edward says as he leaves me at my desk to head to his office. "Let me know if it gets too uncomfortable out here."

I nod, then settle into my desk and fire up my computer. I've got scheduling to arrange with some of our venues this morning. Our tours start to thin out in September, limited mainly to corporate clients with custom itineraries. We work hard to accommodate their requests for venues around the area that don't always have staff after summer to handle tour groups. Edward once told me I have a sweet way of getting what I want. I remember blushing at his compliment.

"What the fuck, Bella. Are you sleeping your way to the top?" Lauren whispers when she sits down at her desk across from me.

I'm shocked, despite expecting at least one reaction like this. Lauren is so blunt, though. I thought she might whisper those things behind my back but not to my face. I feel tears prick at the corner of my eyes, but I don't want to show her any weakness. After I take a deep breath through my nose, I respond sounding more confident than I feel. "Lauren, I respect you as a guide. I think your style with tour guests is perfect. But the rest of your interpersonal communication skills could use some work."

She looks a little contrite, which gives me courage to continue. I have to make this right, because for better or worse we have to work together. She has a valid point, even if her method is crass, so it's likely someone else in the office could be thinking the same thing. I know if it were Lauren and Edward who had ended up together I'd have thought that about her, but then she's very transparent about what she wants. She wants to move into a management position over the tour guides, and Carlisle has openly kicked around the idea of expanding and adding a layer of management. He's so far kept the growth contained, no doubt because he's been balancing his desire to retire with his plans for growing the business.

"I don't want to work here forever, Lauren. I would like to be a full-time teacher again. I have no plans to 'get to the top' at Seattle Adventures and I certainly would never do such a thing by sleeping with someone to accomplish that, in any profession. Yes, Edward and I have started seeing each other. But I'm not using him for my career and I'd appreciate if you don't suggest such a thing to others in the office."

She makes a doubtful face but starts gathering her work items. She has a tour this morning, and has just stopped in to gather the passenger list and trip details. "Bella, what you do in your personal life is your business, but when it interferes with work..."

I cut her off immediately, my anger outweighing my desire to find a way to get past this with her. "Yes, Lauren. What I do in my personal life is my business. And my relationship _is_ my personal life, and only my personal life. I'd appreciate if you keep it there, and respect that it is in fact _my_ business."

"Whatever," she snaps as she walks away from her desk. Well, that didn't go so well.

"Bella, don't worry about Lauren," Jess says kindly. Her desk is also nearby and she's heard the whole thing. "I'll talk with her about it tonight. I was going to tell her about Mike, too. That means we'll be going public at work, because Lauren's sure to say something even if I ask her to keep it private."

"You're a good friend, Jess," I tell her. "Thanks for your help. And if I can do something to make the situation with Mike more comfortable, I will." I'm not sure why she's concerned about what people will think of their relationship, particularly since Mike works part-time and doesn't have a strong connection to folks at the office.

"Thanks Bella. I know people think he's slimy. But he's not that way anymore, and I don't want anyone to think he's a bad guy. I really care about him."

Oh, well yes, there is that aspect of Mike's reputation. I can understand Jess wanting people to support their relationship, rather than questioning what she's doing with him.

"He's lucky to have found you, Jess. And Mike's a good guy." Jess smiles broadly, and I can tell that my simple comment has made her day. "I'm happy you two have connected," I smile back at her. "Maybe at lunch you can tell me how it went with his parents."

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**A/N** - Lauren really is a piece of work.


	74. Chapter 74

Rose volunteers to pick me up on the way to Esme's for lunch. I need to take care of my truck. It's getting annoying always relying on others for rides, or just avoiding having to drive anywhere.

On the short drive from my West Seattle hill neighborhood to Esme's house on the waterfront, I decide to make small talk to distract myself from the impending embarrassment of meeting Esme again. "So, Edward planned a great date for me and I owe him one in return. Have any ideas?" I ask Rose.

"Where did he take you?"

"To a concert on the lawn at Chateau Ste. Michelle."

"Oh, well done Edward! Em and I saw Lyle Lovett there last summer. It's a great venue. So, something to top that, huh?"

Rose thinks for a while but my distraction hasn't worked. We pull into the driveway of the Cullen's house and Rose cuts the engine. "Let's ask Esme."

Here goes nothing, I think as I exit the car. Rose rings the doorbell and Esme swings it wide open in a matter of seconds. "Oh girls, I'm so happy to see you. Rose, when you told me there was something to discuss, I can't tell you how happy that made me. And to think you're both free this Thursday! I'm tickled you two have gotten to know one another. So, Bella, what is it you had to tell us?"

What?! It feels like Rose has thrown me under the bus. She didn't tell me to prepare the excuse for why we needed to get together for lunch!

"Esme, let's head inside. I have a feeling Bella would like to ease into it. Am I right?"

"Um, yes. That's right," I mumble and give Rose the evil eye as Esme turns to lead us into the kitchen.

"Let's eat on the deck. I've got some appetizers in the oven that will be ready in about 5 minutes," Esme says with a glance back at the oven timer.

"So, first things first," Rose starts. "Bella was just talking about how she wants to plan a date for Edward. He took her to a winery concert and she wants to plan something in exchange."

"Oh, yes. He borrowed our chairs and picnic supplies for that. And Bella and Edward were so kind to put them right back in their storage location, weren't you dear?"

My face instantly pinks. I can't tell if she's referring to our tryst in their house or just making small talk, but this is a nerve-wracking conversation. "Yes. So Esme, do you have any ideas?" I ask to steer her back to the question.

"Ooh, let's think. How about a movie theme? Carlisle has always imagined himself as Paul Newman in the _Color of Money_. Do you know that movie? Anyway, for his birthday one year I took him to a pool hall in downtown Seattle. Very low-life, let me tell you. Not my scene at all, but Carlisle loved it."

Oh my god. She is so not dropping this; my already pink flesh blushes a bright red.

"How about a drink?" Rose blurts out. "Esme, do you still keep rum on hand? I could go for a rum and coke." Thank god for Rose.

As Rose steps away to grab the rum, Esme wraps her arm around my shoulder and kisses my cheek. "Oh dear, you're blushing. I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. It's just too tempting mot to let that drop," she cackles. "Come on, I promise not to tease you anymore."

That was teasing? Mortification is more like it. Thankfully the timer goes off on the oven. For the next several minutes, we busy ourselves by putting crab-stuffed mushroom caps and carmelized onion and goat cheese canapes onto a tray while Rose prepares rum and cokes. I notice she splashes a lot more rum in Esme's glass than in either of ours.

"I love girl lunches," Esme says. "We should make this a monthly tradition." She has a dreamy look on her face, and I get the feeling that she's lonely at times.

"I bet you're anxious for Carlisle to retire so you two can spend more time together," I tell her. "I've always admired how close you two are. You certainly set a great example of a happily married couple."

"Oh, Bella, you've made my day," Esme smiles widely at me. "It was great going on the month-long cruise with Carlisle, but between you, me, and these walls, it is actually possible to spend too much time with someone. I love that man like crazy, but a little distance is healthy. If he wants to keep working for a while, I'm OK with that. He'd like to do more volunteer work, though, so it's great that Edward has been so wonderful filling Carlisle's shoes at the office."

"Edward has done great," I tell her. "He's a natural with clients, and seems to be a very good negotiator. You raised a very smart and capable man, Esme."

"Thank you, dear. I'm proud of all my boys. You're right about him being a good negotiator. I still check the books for the business, mostly to keep track of our accountants and to help spot for issues. The forecasts look fantastic. Edward's negotiated some very good contracts." A silence descends over the table while we sip our drinks and eat appetizers. "So, Bella, what was it you wanted to talk about."

Darn, I haven't come up with a good story yet. Maybe I should go with honesty? I've never been good at lying, and in any case don't like the idea of doing that with Esme. I take a gulp of my drink and sit up bravely.

"Esme, it's come to my attention that you have security cameras in the house. You did that as a burglary prevention method?" I ask her. I see Rose palm her face - clearly she thinks my tactic is all wrong.

"Oh, yes," Esme says after swallowing the last sip of her drink. Rose immediately rises to grab another coke and the bottle of rum from the kitchen. She's back in a flash, hastily pouring another glass. "Thank you, dear," Esme smiles at Rose. I can see that Esme is already a bit more fluid in her speech and movements than when we met her at the door.

"Now, the cameras. Rose was the one who installed them, actually. She's so talented with that technical stuff. She connected it all up to the computer in the basement, and with a click of a button we can recover the videos. Do you know we caught burglars that way? Not at our house, but next door. We got them breaking into a side window and going out the front door with valuables, and we also caught the getaway van. The police used the videos to see the license plates, and when they went to the registered owner's apartment, all three criminals were sitting in the midst of their loot. Apparently they were strung out on drugs. It was all very exciting."

"Well, um, I was hoping to learn more about the security cameras. I'd like to better understand what they capture on video, the quality of the pictures, and for how long the files are kept." I'm flailing here, and am not sure if I should be 100% honest about wanting to erase the videos or lie and find a way for Rose to disappear and do that for me. I plough ahead anyway, taking a deep breath in case I'm nailing shut my own coffin. "Um, to tell you the truth, Esme, I'd kind of, um, well... I want the videos of when Edward and I were in your house." I wince after I've said it.

"Oh good idea, Bella. Yes, I can see why you might like to watch those with Edward. Now, mind you, I just saw the beginning part after you entered the house, but it was very steamy. There are just some things a parent is not meant to see their children do so I had Carlisle stop it right there. You know, we tried video taping once but had trouble with the camera. It just captured a shot of Carlisle's backside in the air and his family jewels swinging between his legs - it wasn't sexy at all."

Oh, good god - not a visual I needed to imagine of my boss! Honesty might not have been the best approach afterall. I look to Rose, who is downing the rest of her rum and coke in one swallow.

* * *

**A/N** - Bella's not a liar so I went with honesty. Good choice or no?


	75. Chapter 75

A freak, late-August thunderstorm storm blows in Friday, making my trip to Mount St. Helens grim and depressing. Rain is rare in summer, but it's even rarer to get thunder and lightning storms in Western Washington. The front stretches from south of Olympia to Everett. It leaves behind cooler temperatures, too, reminding everyone that summer is coming to an end.

On a good day the drive from Seattle to the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens is long. On a stormy day it's insufferable. I try to make it as pleasant as possible, telling stories, playing games, and in general trying to lighten the gloomy mood from the weather outside our bus. By the time we make it to the observatory the storm has passed to the East, but the visit is a bust because we're now in heavy fog. Although interior exhibits help tell the volcano's story, a view to dense fog hardly seems worth the long drive. I know that if this were someone's only trip to the volcano in their lifetime, which is true for most of my tour guests, it would be a let-down.

Our visit to Windy Ridge is more successful. The air is surprisingly cold and not everyone is dressed for the weather, but about half the group decide to climb the 361 steps to a beautiful view of the crater and Spirit Lake. At least we're above the fog line, so even people at the parking lot have a decent view.

The day wasn't a total washout, but it's left me feeling drained when I arrive home Friday night. I'm soaking in the bathtub and reading a book when I hear a knock. When a key unlocks the door I know it's Edward. He had left papers on my dining room table when he stopped by after my lunch with Esme. This morning at the office he asked about it, and not remembering one way or another I just gave him my key so he could fetch them during the day. I used my hidden key to enter after work tonight. Mr Crowley and I have an arrangement to keep each other's spare key under our mats. He's on the second floor, several doors down from where my apartment is on the third floor.

"Bella?" Edward calls loudly. "I've brought you something to eat. Are you home?"

"In here."

"Hi," he whispers before kissing me on the lips. "I left food in the kitchen. Are you hungry?"

I shake my head no. Maybe after this bath I'll want to eat, but my water is still warm and I'm not ready to get out.

"Can I join you?"

"I'd love that." My tub is old, deep and cast-iron, and there's plenty of room for two. It's nothing like Edward's sleek double jacuzzi, but this tub is great for soaking away stresses.

"I was a little presumptuous tonight and brought a change of clothes. Do you mind if I spend the night?" Edward asks.

"You can always stay," I tell him honestly. We slept in our own places last night, and I was lonely not having his warmth next to me.

When Edward has stripped bare I scoot forward so he can settle in behind me. He pulls me back against his chest and wraps his arms around my torso.

"Sweetheart, how would you feel about spending more nights together? Say, most nights?" he asks hesitantly. Edward doesn't wait for me to answer. "I got you something, in case the idea appeals to you."

He reaches down to his jeans and pulls out something from the pocket. I'm silent, still processing his comments. He holds out his hand and inside is a colorful red key, something that would be very distinctive on my key chain. "It's a key to my place," he explains. "If you don't feel comfortable accepting it, I'll understand. Even if you do, I know there will be days you'll want to stay at your own place. But maybe this way you could just come over anytime. You could keep some things at my place so you wouldn't have to worry about bringing a packed bag each time - we wouldn't have to plan as much. What do you think?"

I wrap my fingers around his hand that holds the key and bring it to my mouth for a kiss. There are butterflies in my stomach, knowing this is a big step and being so full of joy about it. "I think it's a great idea, Edward. And you can keep my key. I'll have another spare made to put under Mr. Crowley's doormat. I was lonely last night. Sleeping with you is so much more restful than sleeping by myself."

Edward squeezes me tight and kisses my shoulder. "I love you, Bella Swan."

"I love you too, Edward. I think it's time we plan that visit to see my dad. He's got a right to meet the guy I'm nearly shacking up with."

"Is that what we're doing?"

Suddenly I'm not sure I interpreted his words correctly. "Oh, well I mean, not shacking up, but you know, exchanging keys."

"Bella, to be honest I would love to shack up with you - to have all your things mixed with all of mine in the closet, to have more than just your toothbrush on my counter. I don't want to pressure you, though. This seemed like it might be a big step. Not for me - it feels so natural to me. But I'm aware of how long we've been together and I remember what you said about not wanting to crash and burn. I'm trying to take this slow, sweetheart. My brain has to keep convincing my legs not to run too quickly."

I turn around in his arms and hug his torso awkwardly in the tub. "Edward, sometimes I just want to crawl into you because you say the most perfect things."

"So do you, Bella. So do you."

* * *

**A/N - **Three weeks in and already discussing moving in together.


	76. Chapter 76

The following Tuesday Edward asks me out to lunch and suggests a quickie at my place while we're in the car. "Um, that would be great. But maybe not today."

"Oh, sure. Sweetheart, I'm sorry I asked. I know you want to keep work professional and I can see where my suggestion blurs the line a little."

"No. No, it's not that. This is kind of embarrassing. We haven't really discussed this stuff yet."

"What stuff? What's embarrassing? Bella you don't have to be embarrassed to tell me anything."

"I got my period this morning. I should have it for about three days and usually it's not too bad, but I'm kind of crampy this time and it's a little worse than usual," I say hurriedly to get it out in one breath. I know I shouldn't be embarrassed to tell Edward these things. We're in a relationship together, and each have a key to the other's place. But our romance has progressed so quickly, and my only experience talking with guys about this stuff is limited to Jake.

"Bella, I understand, really," he says as I squirm in my seat a little. Edward takes my hand and kisses it. "Do you need anything? Do you need to stop by the store? We could get some things to keep at my place if you'd like."

I'm incredibly touched by his thoughtfulness, but shopping for menstrual supplies with Edward doesn't sound appealing. I guess I'm not that enlightened, plus our coworkers sometimes do errands at lunch and the thought of getting caught buying tampons by someone from the office is as embarrassing as if we were caught buying condoms. "I'm good. Thank you, though. Maybe I could just bring some of what I have over to your place. But to tell you the truth, I want to spend the next couple nights at my apartment."

"Can I spend them with you?" he asks carefully.

"You can always stay. I just don't know if I'm going to want to, you know, um, mess around or anything. I've never done that when I've had my period." It's getting more comfortable talking about this, but I still feel awkward discussing the implications of my bleeding.

"Sweetheart, don't worry about it. I just want to be with you, however you feel comfortable," Edward says as he leans over and kisses my cheek while we're stopped at a light. "Let's go grab lunch. I promised to feed you."

We sit at a table in Endolyne Joe's, an American-food restaurant near Edward's parents' house. "My dad's a horrible cook," Edward says. "When it was his turn to cook, he usually ran down to this place for take-out, or he'd suggest the family go on a 'hike in the neighborhood before dinner' that always ended here."

I've eaten here before, and while I like the food it's too far out-of-the-way for me without a car. "In light of that, this meal is on me, Edward. I'd like to treat you to this trip down memory lane."

"Don't be silly, Bella. I asked you to lunch. I can pick up the tab."

"Edward, I'm perfectly capable of covering our lunch for us. Besides, you drove and I never give you money for gas. Not to mention you wouldn't take a dime for our trip to Alderbrook. Thank god I paid for my spa services separately. I can't imagine the arguments we would have had about that."

"Bella, I can afford it. I like doing these things for you."

"Edward, I can afford it too. I like doing nice things for you, as well. You have to let me treat you some times. It's not an equal relationship if I'm always on the receiving end."

"I'm supposed to pay. I'm the guy."

"Oh my god, were you born at the turn of the last century? Sweetheart, I appreciate the sentiment, really I do. But I'm pretty sure we need to be on a slightly more equal footing when it comes to taking care of each other."

"Bella, I know my financial situation is different from yours - I did very well in Chicago and saved most of what I earned. I don't care about our relative financial positions. But I do care about letting you pay for things for me when you're struggling to pay to fix your vehicle."

"What?!" There's anger in my response, and Edward coils in reaction.

"You told me you were putting off fixing your truck. I assumed you were saving until you could afford it," he says nervously.

"Edward, I haven't fixed my truck because most of the time I don't need a car and I'm sensible about not wasting money on things I don't need. But I also haven't fixed my truck because I'm not sure I want it, and I haven't wanted to deal with making that decision. Jake gave me that truck. Or, rather, he fixed it up and got it working. The truck is a classic, which means it's old and burns a lot of gas. It's got a minor issue with the brakes, but it was enough for me to stop driving it and let the insurance lapse. I could probably sell it for a heap of money despite the work it needs."

I say all this with more frustration than I'm entitled, no doubt a result of my shorter-than-normal fuse when I'm on my period.

"Bella, I'm sorry I assumed you couldn't afford to fix your truck. I should have just asked."

"Sorry for my short fuse. I know it's not a great excuse, but I get a little testier than normal during this time of month." Edward grabs my hand and it occurs to me that this was the closest we've ever come to fighting, and it wasn't even much of an argument. "Too bad I'm not in the mood for make-up sex," I tell him. "I've heard it's supposed to be mind-blowing."

"I'm happy to start an argument with you on Friday," Edward smirks at me. "Or, you know, try to convince you that sex right now would still feel pretty great. I have a big shower - washes all sorts of things clean."


	77. Chapter 77

I have the Waterfall and Wineries tour again on Wednesday. Mike's my driver, and it's fun to get an update on his relationship with Jess, which seems to be progressing as fast as my romance with Edward. Woodinville makes me think of Edward, of course, and when we run late on our way back to West Seattle I ask Mike to drop me out front of Edward's condo instead of at the office. To hell with my earlier thoughts of wanting to sleep at my place for these few days of my period. I want to see Edward, preferably as soon as possible.

I let myself into his condo, assuming he's home already since it's 6:30 pm. Finding it empty, I text him a note that I stopped by looking for him, then decide to rid myself of the grime of my day. I left a change of clothes here the last time I was over and Edward's dedicated a drawer to my things. It's a growing pile of clothes - several pairs of underwear, a bra, camisole, yoga pants, and two t-shirts, in addition to the jeans and blouse I last brought over. I opt for the yoga pants and camisole, being in the mood for comfortable clothes.

I grab a tampon from my purse so I can change into it after cleaning up, then take my load to the bathroom and start the shower. My period was heavy and uncomfortable yesterday, but has returned to its normal light flow. Thank god for the pill - certainly makes life easier.

The shower feels incredible. Edward's got multiple shower heads that shoot water from three walls, very effectively relaxing muscles. I'm arching my back to rinse my hair of shampoo when I hear Edward's voice. "God, that's a beautiful sight. I need to join you in here," he says while stepping into the shower. His arms wrap around my waist and he brings his lips to my neck for a kiss, moving up to kiss my lips when I bring my head forward. Our tongues wrap around one another and his hands roam my body, one on my ass squeezing me hard into his form and the other on my torso, snaking up to squeeze my breast. Despite my comments yesterday about not wanting to have sex during my period, I'm incredibly turned on. So is Edward, whose hard length pushes against my stomach.

"I missed you today during my Chateau Ste. Michelle visit," I tell him as I wrap my arms around his waist and bring one hand down to his ass. We're slippery from the water. I'm also slippery between my legs . Edward pushes a leg between mine, and I can't help but grind against it. "I'm still bleeding," I say when he encourages my movements with his hand on my ass.

"I don't care, Bella. Fuck, I could care less. You are so incredibly beautiful, sweetheart." He leans down and takes a nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue inside his lips. I arch my back, pushing my chest into his mouth, and continue grinding against his leg. Edward pulls back and looks at me intensely. "Bella, can I make love to you in here? Please?"

I nod my head, because really it's a foregone conclusion given my shameless grinding and pebbled nipples. "Promise me you won't be grossed out," I tell him.

He laughs, but then kisses me hard before pulling back and grabbing my hand, which he pulls down to his erection. "I'm so far from being grossed out, Bella," Edward says with a slight moan as I wrap my hand around his cock and stroke him. "I can't believe we haven't had shower sex yet. You're a vision." He kisses my nipple lightly, then brings his hand down to my pussy. "Oh, Bella, you're so wet. You want this as much as I do." Edward inserts a finger inside me. It does feel very nice having him pump in and out, in and out, so slowly that it's driving me crazy.

"Faster," I pant. Edward turns me around and positions one foot on the bench seat, wrapping an arm around my waist, bending at the knees behind me, and then filling me with his cock as he stands. "Oh god," I say in response to being filled. "Why did I not want to do this again?"

"Does that feel good? How about this?" Edward asks while snaking an arm up to my breast and the other down to my pussy, his fingers rubbing over my clit. He begins pumping in and out slowly, but it's his fingers on my clit and the feeling of fullness that are making my legs weak.

"I'm so close, Edward. Oh, god, yeah just like that. Faster, please, faster," I plead. He stills his hips so that he's entirely inside me, then circles two fingers around and around my clit before flicking it furiously. My orgasm comes on so hard that I push against the wall with my arms, curling at my stomach and pushing Edward back into the wall behind him, still inside me.

"Fuck, you coming on my cock is so incredible." he grunts. "Put your hands on the bench, Bella, and spread your legs on the floor." I do as he asks, keeping him inside me as I lower my foot to the floor and bend at the waist. Edward bends his knees slightly to make up for our difference in height. "Ready? Oh god, please tell me you're ready, Bella."

"Yes, just move Edward." With that Edward grabs my hips with both hands and begins to fuck me hard and fast, grunting loudly. The sound of our skin slapping against each other fills the shower, and the warm water soothes over my back, running down to my neck and head as I bend it towards the bench. I'm still pulsing inside from my orgasm. Edward groans loudly through three more thrusts, then stills as he pants against my back.

"That was so intense," he says through his labored breathing. "God, what a great way to come home from work. Can we do this again sometime?" he laughs as he rubs his hands up and down my back. He pulls out and stands into the water. From my bent position I can see blood run down the drain as he washes away the evidence of our experience. I stand up and let the water rinse between my legs.

"Not grossed out?" I ask him tentatively.

"No, are you? This was a first for you, too."

"This was a first for you?"

"Yes. Surprised?"

"I guess. I mean, you seemed so sure about it, like you knew what to expect."

"Hmm. Well, I knew to expect our normal mind-blowing experience."

"Mind-blowing, huh?"

"Oh, yeah! Bella, I've said this before, but I really do mean it. Sex with you is like nothing I've ever experienced. Let's do it all the time. We can quit our jobs and have sex for a living."

I laugh at his lame joke. "How would we have sex for a living, Edward? I'm not saying no, just that the business case isn't obvious."

"Easy. We can film it and sell subscriptions to our blog. We've already got teaser material to pull together some on-line ads. Those videos you grabbed from my parents would attract millions."

"Yes, well I think we'd have to watch them first to know for sure," I say while kissing his nose.

"OK. Let's do that," he smirks back at me.

We're joking, but I think about it while we rinse off. Edward dries off first and tells me he'll get dinner started. As I dry off from my shower and dress in comfortable clothes, a plan forms for the date I intend to organize for Edward.

* * *

**A/N - **Please tell me what you think.


	78. Chapter 78

On Friday early evening, Edward asks if he can see my old truck. I trudge down to the back parking lot, Edward on my heels, and point at the red behemoth parked in the far corner. I used to be proud of having such a classic vehicle, a statement against the ordinary in my otherwise very ordinary life.

"So, this was refurbished by Jacob, huh?"

"Yep. He worked on it off and on through high school, then gave it to me when he moved to Seattle. The title is in my name, so at least I'm free and clear of Jake if I sell it.

"Did you, um, mess around in this truck with Jake?"

Interesting question. "Maybe," which of course means yes.

He doesn't answer and his face is impassive. Edward looks into the cab, walks around the front, and completes a circle around the car, meeting me again near the truck bed. He opens the hatch and sits down. "You should sell it," he says.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because obviously it doesn't suit your needs. You'd have gotten it fixed already if it did." It's really more complicated than that, but I don't challenge him. "Let's take it for a ride," Edward continues. "I can drive. My insurance will cover me if I'm considering buying it."

"YOU want to buy it?!"

"No, but for the sake of test driving it I might."

"It doesn't have current tabs. We could get pulled over."

"I'll take my chances."

"The brakes are squishy. The pads are only at about 20%."

"We won't go far. I'll take it slow. Come on, let's grab the keys from upstairs."

Since it's clear Edward doesn't want to drop this, I relent. It's certainly driveable, at least it was when I last took it on the road. I would have felt comfortable driving it to the brake shop. I just wouldn't have taken it on a long trip, like to Forks, which is largely why I had a vehicle in the first place.

We grab the keys from my apartment and Edward snatches a couple of blankets, as well. "For a picnic. We might as well make an adventure of it, and we need to eat dinner," he says.

Edward swings by the market on our drive, buying pre-made sandwiches, bananas, a huge bottle of water, and a box of tissues. "Cheaper and softer than napkins," he tells me.

"Don't they have free napkins at the sandwich counter?"

"This is what I want, Bella." Odd man.

"Where are we going, Edward?" We're winding through West Seattle, south of where Edward's parents live.

"To Seahurst Park. We can watch the sunset and have our dinner."

I'm not familiar with the park, but it turns out to be a large wooded area tucked in against the coast. The road winds down to a beach, where there are shaded spots to park the truck. It's surprisingly quiet - just a couple of empty cars parked close to the trail leading to the beach. Edward backs into the spot farthest from the trail so the truck bed has the view to the water. Shade trees and the large cab of the truck mostly obscure the bed from the park road.

We settle into the truck bed on a blanket, leaning against the back of the cab. Edward uses the other blanket to pull up around our legs. Our bag from the market is off to the side.

"Bella, I want to make a new memory in this truck."

"What do you mean?"

"You should sell it. I really meant it that it doesn't suit you. It's big and old and a gas-guzzler and obviously has some history you don't like to think about or you'd have gotten it fixed. But before you do sell it, I want this truck to have a new chapter in its history."

"How would we do that?"

"Take off your shorts?"

What?! The tissue for clean-up makes sense now. "Edward, anyone could see."

"Nope, we're secluded enough. Take them off Bella, and your panties too. You can stay covered under the blanket."

I'm still apprehensive, but his tone and the way he's looking at me are already making me wet. I unbutton and unzip my shorts, pushing them down awkwardly under the blanket. Edward immediately brings a hand down between my legs and cups me, stroking my lips with one finger. He pulls his finger back and brings it to his lips.

"I'd love to lick your pussy right now, but that's a little harder to manage under this blanket." Wow, this is kind of hot. "Bella, take off my shorts too - do it without uncovering the blanket from us."

I do as he asks, and Edward lifts his ass as I slide the shorts down his legs. He's erect, and I grip the bulge in his boxers. "Take them off, too, Bella." They're more difficult to slide off his legs, and the blanket falls to the side exposing us both until Edward pulls it up tight. "OK, sweetheart, come here."

He pulls one of my legs over his hips so I'm straddling him, but doesn't let me slink down onto his erection. "Bella, if I'd have known you in high school, this is the kind of make-out session we would have had," he whispers seductively into my ear. He bites my ear lobe and a hand slides up to grab my breast under my shirt. "I would have been fixated on your breasts, because you might have only let me touch you there, but I'd have done my best to make you feel good here," he says as an arm snakes around my ass and runs between my legs to my pussy. I'm pushed up against his chest, and I feel his erection between my legs but not aligned for me to sink down on it.

"I'd have hoped you wanted to touch me, too, but I'd probably have creamed my pants the first time you put your hands on me." I push my hand down between us and grab his cock. It's a little awkward, and I can't get a gentle grip to stroke him. I angle my hand back to grab some wetness between my legs, meeting Edward's hand that's wrapped around me from my backside. When I put my hand back on his cock, it's slides easily up and down his shaft. "Fuck, that feels so good, Bella. But I want to be inside you," he says as he licks my neck.

I tilt my head to give him access, and he glides his lips up my jaw, biting my chin. Our lips meet and tongues collide in a deep kiss while I rock against his hand. Edward's hand pulls away from my pussy and grips my ass. I lower my hips and take him inside me, and he squeezes my ass in response.

"I can see the advantage of a truck," he says with a groan. "More room to maneuver than in my car."

"Yes," I moan through a grind. "Must be why they call this area the bed."

We're quiet then, each concentrating on the physical experience we're sharing. Aside from being outside, there's nothing particularly adventurous or new about the way we're having sex. But knowing that Edward wants me to have adventures with _him_ in this truck makes me emotional - I feel so wanted, so loved. I know his reaction to my truck is rooted in jealousy, but that means I'm important to him. I _like_ that he's jealous.

Edward climaxes silently, gripping his fingers around my waist and ass tightly to hold me to him. He breathes deeply against my neck, kissing up to my cheek but pulling back with a look of concern when he tastes a salty tear. I don't know why I'm so emotional. "Happy tears," I assure him.

"What's wrong, Bella?" he asks gently.

"Honestly, I'm just happy. I love you, Edward."

He kisses me once on the lips, still showing a look of concern. "Sweetheart, was this too much? Did I do the wrong thing here?"

"No, Edward, no. I mean it," I say as I wipe away a tear streak from my cheek. "I just...it's just that I know you love me, really love me."

"I do, Bella. There's no doubt in my mind." Edward breathes deeply, then begins again. "One day I will ask you a very important question. I don't know if that scares you or not. And it sure as hell won't be in a truck that was given to you by your ex-boyfriend."

The butterflies are back in my stomach. "What ex-boyfriend?" I ask him. "There's only one boyfriend who I remember making an impression on me in this truck. He's currently inside me, and it's fucking blissful."

With my comment, Edward's cock that had been softening begins to fill me again. "Wow, you have amazing recovery time."

"Oh Bella, you have no idea the effect you have on me. Don't you know, sweetheart? I'm a teenage boy around you. We boys have excellent rebound ability." Edward maneuvers us so that I'm underneath him, my left leg hiked up to the side by his arm under my knee. "Fuck 'em if they hear us, Bella. _I _want to hear you come undone."

Not too much later I do, screaming loudly in the process.


	79. Chapter 79

On Sunday morning I make arrangements with my dad and with Angela and Ben to visit in two weeks, the weekend after Labor Day. Labor Day weekend itself is usually one of our busiest at Seattle Adventures. Our tours inevitably sell out with both locals and tourists alike trying to squeeze the last experience of the summer into their three-day weekend. I volunteered to lead the all-day tours to Rainier on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It'll be a grueling weekend, but it means I can take off Wednesday though Sunday of the following weekend. Edward is going to take off those days, as well. I'm planning an experience he won't forget, starting with a date I've organized Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Tonight I've been invited to Edward's parent's house for a family dinner. Rose and Emmett will be there, too. Edward told me to dress comfortably because he wants to finally get me out in the double kayak. He left my place early this morning and headed up to Mukilteo to help Emmett and Rose with adoption-related paperwork. They thought Edward's legal training would help and he was more than willing to lend a hand. Rose and Em haven't told Carlisle and Esme about their plans, swearing us to secrecy. Rose is concerned that she'll get questions repeatedly on how the process is working. She said it's hard enough handling her own disappointment if it doesn't go well that she can't add the stress of their parents being disappointed too.

My phone buzzes with a text while I'm still sitting on my couch after my call with Angela.

**Change of plans. Mom and Dad will pick you up for dinner up here. -E**

**OK. Should I bring anything? Is everything OK? -B**

My phone rings and I answer immediately.

"This is easier than texting," Edward says. "Hi sweetheart. Is the new plan OK?"

"To have dinner in Mukilteo? Sure, I'm fine with that. Should I bring anything? Are Rose and Em cooking or are we going out?"

"Em is going to grill out. When my mom realized I was up here, she suggested we could get together in Mukilteo instead of making Rose and Em always drive to West Seattle."

"OK, so I want to bring something. Ask Rose and Em if I can bring the dessert." Edward tells me to hang on and then confirms that my suggestion would be great. He gives me his mom's cell number in case I need to get in touch, but said they're already planning to pick me up at 4:30 pm on their way out of West Seattle. I'm a little nervous about being in the car alone with Esme and Carlisle - it's a long drive to make conversation between just the three of us.

"Oh, and Bella, bring your suit. We can hang out in the hot tub after dinner."

We hang up but not before Edward tells me to be brave and not worry about the ride. No doubt he suspects I'm freaking out a little, even though I've said nothing about my nerves.

I busy myself in the late morning by washing two loads of laundry and cleaning my apartment, then hike to the grocery store while my clothes are drying. I pick up food for the week, as well as mascarpone cheese, cream, lady finger cookies, and extra eggs to make Tiramisu for dessert. The dessert needs to set up for several hours in the refrigerator, so I'm pushing my luck to complete it before Esme and Carlisle pick me up.

Esme calls at 4:25 and tells me they're out front of my building looking for a place to park. I assure them they don't need to come upstairs, but rather to double park for only a minute while I grab my things.

The ride to Mukilteo isn't nearly as uncomfortable as I feared. In fact, both Esme and Carlisle are wonderful, easing into conversation with questions about my family. Esme asks how often I see my mom, and I'm suddenly struck with a wave of longing for her. We haven't seen each other since the start of the summer, when she visited me in Seattle over Memorial Day weekend. I promised her I would try to get down to Florida for Thanksgiving this year.

My mom and I usually talk about once a week, but she and Phil have been on a road trip to the Carolinas for the past two weeks. The last time we talked was early morning on the Saturday that Edward and I went to Whidbey. I realize that was also the last time I made this trip north to Mukilteo. I vow to call her this week and explain how significant Edward has become to me. I was careful in how I mentioned him during our last call, not wanting to say too much in case Edward didn't want to keep seeing me after our first date.

Edward greets me at the car door when we arrive. He swoops me into his arms and plants a loud and messy kiss on my mouth. I'm a little embarrassed since we're surrounded by his parents, but also secretly pleased that he unabashedly shows affection in front of the people he cares most about.

"Hi you," he says softly and with a wide grin. "How was the ride?"

"It was nice. We talked about family. I hear you have a crazy uncle Alistair back in Britain."

"Oh, yes. I've met him twice. Odd man," Edward laughs. "So really, that was it? Just family?"

"Were you expecting them to grill me or something?"

"Um, maybe. My mom hinted that she wanted to get to know you better since you're so important to me. I was a little worried she'd take it too far."

"Edward, your parents are great." We're still standing outside the car, Edward's hands on my shoulders and mine on his hips. We've been in our little bubble while Carlisle and Esme have gone inside. "Come on, let's head inside with this stuff," I say gesturing to my dessert pan and swimsuit bag.

Dinner is on the patio, and I'm grateful that there are no embarrassing moments. My luck with Esme and Carlisle thankfully seems to have taken a less mortifying turn.

"Oh my god," Rose says as she eats another bite of the dessert. "Bella, this is orgasmic."

Esme closes her eyes and moans after she takes her own bite. "Yes, dear, I'd say Rose has hit the nail on the head. Carlisle, just feed me this instead of all that silly foreplay." Esme has had a couple of drinks.

"Can we _please _not talk about your sex life," Edward whines.

"Oh Edward, get a grip. You should be proud that everyone around this table has a healthy sex life. It means we're well-adjusted," Em says.

"Oh, and I'd say Edward and Bella are _very_ well-adjusted," Rose smirks. She's had a couple of drinks too.

"Really?!" asks Esme, clearly wanting us to divulge details. Oh god, why did I make rum-soaked Tiramisu? Rum seems to be some kind of truth serum in Edward's family. "Now kids, did those videos play back all right for you? I hope you enjoyed them."

"Mom! Please, I really don't want to discuss this stuff with you," Edward says loudly.

"Stop being such a prude, Edward. Bella's OK with it, aren't you dear?" Esme asks. I am so not OK with this, but clearly the question has only one answer.

"Um," is my reply. Yep, my only answer.

Edward rises and grabs my hand. "We're going to change into suits so we can soak in the hot tub. Feel free to discuss our sex life without us present," he says sarcastically.

We head inside to the sound of cat calls, but Edward is grinning and shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Bella. They take it too far, sometimes."

We use the guest room to change into our suits, Edward getting handsy and offering to help me tie my bikini bra straps. He kisses my shoulder when we're done, telling me I look beautiful. Landscaping obscures the hot tub from the outdoor table where everyone is still sitting, but we can hear each other just fine. "Is anyone going to join us?" Edward asks.

"I'm not in the mood to soak," Rose says.

"We'll be heading home soon," Carlisle adds.

Edward pulls me into his arms and we rest peacefully while watching the sun set behind Whidbey Island. "It's beautiful here," I tell him.

"It is," Edward says while turning my head to look at him. He kisses me lightly on the lips, then whispers into my ear. "You look amazing in this swim suit. I wish I could take it off."

Edward brings one arm to my stomach, rubbing gently back and forth against the top of my bikini bottoms. I jump a little when his finger slips inside. "Shhh," Edward whispers. "You need to be quiet." His hand pushes all the way into my bottoms, cupping me and then running his fingers between my folds. I'm instantly wet and my chest heaves with hard breaths.

"Hey Bella," Rose shouts from the table.

"Yes?" I ask her, forcing my voice to stay steady despite the fact that Edward's finger has begun to stroke in and out of my pussy.

"Do you want to take the remainder of the dessert home? We're going to clean up. There's about 1/3 of the pan left."

My breathing is very erratic, and I'm so close to coming. Edward notices and smirks at me. I grip him hard through his swim trucks, causing his fingers to halt briefly, but then resume in earnest.

"We're good, Rose. No need to pack the dessert," Edward explains in an even voice. "Keep it for yourself or divvy it up with mom and dad."

"Edward and Bella, we're going to head home now. Have a good night," Carlisle calls out from near the table.

"Yes, enjoy your evening," Esme says with what I'm certain is a smirk.

"See you later this week," Edward says calmly. How does he do that?!

"Bye," I choke out.

His fingers are now rubbing my clit and lower lips in a steady circle, and his other hand cups my breast. I'm panting hard, not sure if I should let go or tell him to stop from fear of getting caught by Em or Rose. The orgasm wins out, and I shudder silently while Edward moves his hand from my breast to my neck to angle my head for a quick kiss on the lips. He pulls his fingers from my bikini bottoms to his lips and a moment later Emmett shouts "Cannonball!" while jumping into the hot tub and sloshing water out on all sides.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Emmett asks as he emerges from below the water, oblivious to our activity.

Edward sucks his fingers clean to answer. "I was just telling Bella that I agree with Rose - her dessert was orgasmic."

* * *

**A/N** - Edward definitely likes to push his luck.


	80. Chapter 80

The situation with Lauren hasn't improved, but luckily our schedules align only minimally. She doesn't show up for a scheduled tour on Wednesday, which is very unlike her. Lauren's always taken her job very seriously - it's one of the few qualities about her I admire. It's my day off in advance of the long working weekend, but I volunteer to take her afternoon tour so Edward doesn't have to stress too much. I haven't wanted to make a big deal about Lauren's reaction to our relationship and her behavior towards me, so when he mentioned her uncharacteristic absence late this morning I didn't probe. There's a nagging feeling about this, though, and as I sit in the bus on our way to the pick-up point, I'm wondering if I should have said something.

I have a corporate tour for a biomedical firm in South Lake Union. It's a group of investors, and the tour is meant to impress them with the advantages of the Seattle market for attracting top talent to their research teams. Lauren helped pull together the itinerary, and while I don't mind winging it, I would have preferred more time for prep. The trip includes a visit to the U-Dub Seattle campus, a tour of Safeco Field where I get to sit back and listen, a visit to the top of Queen Anne Hill for views of the city and Mount Rainier and as an example of a family friendly neighborhood, and a visit to Shilshole Marina and the Ballard Locks. That's a lot to squeeze in during a 5-hour afternoon tour, considering we'll be driving all over the city.

Edward calls while we're getting our tour of Safeco Field, where the Seattle Mariners play. I step aside to talk to him, since this isn't a part of the tour I need to lead.

"Hey Bella. Can I come over tonight? I could use your company."

"Of course. What's wrong. You sound a little down."

"It's nothing really, just kicking myself a little. We lost the Microsoft contract. They went with Puget Sound Excursions. I thought for sure that one was in the bag."

"Oh, Edward, I'm sorry to hear that. Today's tour is going well, so I should be back at my place around 7:00 pm. Do you want to hang out there or at your place?"

"Yours is good. It's cozy, and has that great tub for soaking away stress."

"OK, it's a date. I'll see you there later. Let yourself in if you arrive before me. Should we order a pizza for delivery?"

"I'll pick up one from Pegasus. The usual?"

"Sure, whatever would make you feel better. You know, girls would drown their sorrow in a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Pick up one of those if you'd like, too. Sadly, I'm all out because we left it melting on my counter and floor."

"I'm not sorry about that. The ice cream is easy to replace. The memory will last a lifetime."

"A good memory, I hope."

"The best, Bella. You know that, right? I loved every minute of that night, even the uncomfortable sticky parts," he laughs.

"I gotta go. We're at Safeco, and the group is up ahead now. I'll see you later, Edward. Don't worry too much. We put our best foot forward. Maybe PSE drastically cut their rates in an attempt to win the business. If they did, Microsoft will get what they paid for and I wouldn't be surprised if they approach you again before the year is out."

When I arrive home a little after 7:00, Edward is sprawled out on the couch watching television. A hot pizza box is sitting on the kitchen island, so I load up some plates and grab a couple of beers from the fridge.

"Hi," I whisper before leaning down to kiss his lips. I set my load on the coffee table and Edward pulls me to sit on his lap, wrapping his arms around me and burying his head into my chest. He breathes deeply against my skin while I run my hand through his hair.

"This is really bothering you, huh? Were you counting on this for the slow months?" I ask, wondering if the loss will impact the health of the business.

Edward first sighs in response. "No, it's not that. We have a really healthy forecast - better than any of the last five years. In fact, I was a little nervous about how quickly we would be able to hire staff to fulfill against the contract, but that was a challenge I welcomed. I suppose it feels like I let my dad down. He's been wanting to get the Microsoft account for years. It's just my pride that's been hurt."

I kiss his forehead and slide off his lap. "Let's eat the pizza before it gets cold. We can watch a chick flick while eating ice cream - I picked up a pint on my way home. Then, we can soak in the tub."

"I'm good with that plan, with one exception: I get veto rights on the movie."

"OK, but I promise to pick out something you'll like." I stand from the couch and rummage through my small DVD collection, settling on two options. "_Music and Lyrics _or _Blast from the Past_,"I offer him. Edward laughs but points to _Music and Lyrics_. "You'll like it," I assure him. "It's about an 80s has-been who composes pop songs on the piano."

"My compositions remind you of 80's has-been pop songs?"

"No," I laugh. "But I read that the process they capture for how songs come together is accurate. Besides, it's got Hugh Grant doing hip thrusts repeatedly. That's enough of a reason to watch it."

"Or not watch it," Edward replies with snark.

Half-way through the movie Edward has his head on my lap while I feed him ice cream, being careful to get it into his mouth and not all over his face. "You're good for the soul, Bella Swan."

I lean down and peck his lips. He tastes like Cherry Garcia ice cream and his lips are cold. "You're cold. Maybe we should warm up in a bath."

"I want to know how this ends," Edward says. I laugh silently because he's gotten so into the movie, but wisely decide not to tease him about it. When the credits role, Edward lets out a huge yawn.

"Edward, I think we should just go to bed. We're both exhausted from our day. What time do you have to go into work tomorrow.

"I'm taking a mental health day," he says. "Actually, my dad told me to take the day off. He said he didn't want to see me moping around the office tomorrow and that I should spend it with you on your day off."

"I don't have the day off," I tell him.

"You do now, in thanks for filling in at work today. Jess volunteered to take your shift. Mike is the driver for your tour tomorrow. I suspect that had something to do with her altruism."

"By the way, what happened with Lauren. Is everything OK with her?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe she just forgot. We left a message on her cell and home phones, and Jess said she'd stop by her place to make sure nothing's happened to her. I haven't received a distress call from Jess, so I suspect Lauren just mixed up her schedule.

"Something about this doesn't feel right, Edward. I can't put my finger on it, but it's very unlike Lauren to miss a tour. Maybe it's just my reaction to how she's been treating me."

"What do you mean? You haven't said anything about that."

"I haven't wanted to make too big a deal about it. Lauren really seems to have a problem with our relationship. She accused me of sleeping my way to the top."

Edward laughs out loud at that. "Bella, no offense, but you're the least conniving person I know. You're good and honest and caring - qualities that make me love you. Anyway, if you had wanted to get to the top, you wouldn't have had to sleep with me to accomplish that. You're the best guide we've got, sweetheart. The world's your oyster - at least at Seattle Adventures it is."

I give him a sweet kiss before standing and pulling him off the couch. "That's very flattering, but the point is I'm worried about what Lauren might be up to."

"Let's worry about Lauren tomorrow. Tonight I just want to hold you and fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat."

* * *

**A/N - **Please let me know what you think.


	81. Chapter 81

We spend Thursday morning in bed, gently caressing one another and talking about our plans for our trip to Port Angeles and Forks. Edward wants to know what our Wednesday night date entails, but I won't give him any details. I do tell him about our trip, though. We're taking my truck and will spend Thursday night at a campground, Friday with Angela and Ben, and Saturday at my dad's. I'm dropping my truck off tonight for a tune-up, brake-job and new tires. I've already picked up new license tabs and reinstated my insurance. Edward seems a little disappointed that I'm fixing the truck, but when I explain that it's so I can leave it in Forks, his mood improves dramatically.

When my gran died last year she left my dad her entire estate, including her car. He's offered to give it to me in exchange for the truck, which he says he has more use for. Gran's old car is from this century, has only a few thousand miles on it, and is a small blue hatchback. It's more practical for my life in Seattle. My dad won't take any money for it, but I'm definitely coming out ahead in this deal. It's why I'm getting the truck into shape so my dad doesn't have to put any money into it.

Edward wants details about the new car. He's clearly one of those people - people who care about their vehicles. Personally I just want a car that can get me from point A to point B without hassle. "It's a 2009 VW Golf," I tell him. "I think it will feel like a new car because my Gran never drove anywhere. Unless my dad's gone wild with it this last year, the car has less than 6000 miles on it."

"That car has great pick-up," Edward says.

"As long as it's reliable," I tell him. He rolls his eyes at me.

"So, how did you end up with a convertible, anyway. I mean, it's great for our three months of sunshine, but most of the year it's impractical in Seattle. I love your car, Edward. Just curious about the motivation to buy that one in particular."

"I bought it in Chicago. The convertible made more sense there. And as for that particular model, I don't know. Everyone I worked with had BMWs, Audis or the like. I was trying to buck the trend. Mostly I liked how it fit my height, though. And it's got great pick-up. I like a car that responds."

"You're going to hate driving the truck to Forks." Edward's volunteered to do most of the driving.

"I'll like the fact that we're leaving it there." He leans in and kisses the top of my chest, pushing the covers down to my waist. The cooler air in the room causes my nipples to pebble, and Edward brings a hand up to one and his mouth down to the other. "God, you have great breasts, Bella."

I laugh and squirm. "You've told them that before, Edward. They don't talk back, you know."

"Oh, yes they do. Plus your body responds in lots of ways. You're a wonder, Bella Swan, my Wonder Woman. See, if I put my hand here, your knees shake a little," he tells me as he runs his fingers through my folds. "And if I do this," he says as his two fingers go inside my pussy, "your hips rise a little." Edward scoots down the bed, kissing my belly button before hovering over my clit. He blows a hot breath over it, then uses the fingers of his unoccupied hand to spread my lips apart. "And if I put my mouth over you here," he says with the slightest touch of the tip of his tongue to my clit, "you squirm. It's a very satisfying reaction."

With that Edward's actions match his words, and so do mine. When he curls his fingers inside me, pushing against that spot inside, I rise up off the bed and into his face, and he uses his neck muscles to push me back down to the bed. I climax hard with my legs shaking around his head, squeezing into his ears until he pulls his hands away and pushes my knees apart. He kisses my belly button and smiles at me. "You are so responsive, sweetheart. OK if I take my turn?"

I nod as Edward pulls my hips down the bed, lines up his cock and slams into me. We fuck frantically, me arching my hips off the bed to match each of his thrusts. He grunts loudly as our bodies slap against one another. Edward comes quickly, then collapses on top of me briefly before pulling my head to his chest and turning us so he's on the bottom, still inside me. "I'm still working on that sex-for-a-living plan," he tells me.

"Let me know when you've figured it out."

* * *

**A/N** - Hey, missionary position. That's unique for these two. :-)


	82. Chapter 82

Cellular service is very spotty around Mount Rainier, so it's not until we're up at Sunrise on Friday late morning that I get a text Edward sent at 9:00 am.

**You were right. Lauren quit today. No notice. -E**

Oh no, that's going to be a challenge for our weekend tours. I hastily text back that I'll call him during our lunch break if I can get cell service, but before I do I want to get the scoop from Jess. I have a feeling she knows what's happened, and will be more transparent with me than she would be with Edward. I also think Edward wouldn't put her in the position to rat out Lauren. I have no problem with that, however.

I don't get cell service again until we're at Paradise, our last stop on the tour before heading back to Seattle. I text Jess, who has the city tour today that includes Pike Place Market, the waterfront, and Seattle Center. She calls me from the Space Needle.

"Hey, thanks for calling back. Is now a good time to talk?" I ask her.

"I have about 10 minutes before I need to round-up the troops for the ride back down. So, I'm guessing you want to know about Lauren?"

"Yes. What happened?"

"I went over there on Wednesday night. I tried to get her to change her mind, Bella, but the damage was already done and anyway she wouldn't budge. She thinks I'm crazy for staying at Seattle Adventures, but I have no idea why she thinks that. Carlisle has always been great to us."

"Do you think it's because she's upset about my relationship with Edward," I ask.

"I don't think so, Bella. She just found out about that, but she's been collaborating with Puget Sound Excursions for at least two weeks. She took a job there last Wednesday while still working at Seattle Adventures, and I think she was instrumental in finalizing their proposal for Microsoft even before she started working there."

"Jess, I don't know if that's illegal, but it's clearly unethical. She worked on our proposal. She knew our strategy, our pricing, everything."

"I know. I told her it was really short-sighted of her. I'm really wrestling with what to tell Carlisle and Edward. Do you think I should tell them?"

"I can tell them, Jess. Then you don't have to be put in an awkward position. How did you leave it with Lauren?"

"I was so mad at her that I stormed out of her condo. Mike's had final exams this week for his summer coursework, so I haven't wanted to bother him about this. Thanks for letting me unload this on you. To be honest, Bella, I don't think I'll want to keep Lauren as a friend."

I don't comment on that, but am certain I would not stay friends with her if I were Jess.

"Bella, I need to go. My time is up here."

"Me too, Jess. I'm at Paradise and need to corral the group back onto the bus. Talk to you soon."

I text Edward that I'll have an udpate for him when I see him tonight. I ask how they're going to handle the tours this weekend. He says they have it covered, so I guess I'll get an update later.

Wow, what a way to start the weekend.

* * *

**A/N** - What would you do if you were Carlisle or Edward?


	83. Chapter 83

Carlisle is still in the office when I arrive back from my Rainier tour. Unfortunately, Edward is not. "Hey Carlisle, do you know where Edward is?" I ask, popping my head into his office.

"Hi Bella. How was your tour?"

"It was good. I think the guests really enjoyed themselves, and it helped that the weather was perfect up at Sunrise and Paradise. I heard it was a little crazy here, though."

"Yes, I guess you heard about Lauren. To answer your question, Edward ran out. Said he had an errand to complete before seeing you tonight. Do you have plans?"

"Nothing special that I know of. Do you have a minute? I want to tell you want I learned about Lauren."

I give Carlisle the run-down of my conversation with Jess. He seems hurt that an employee he cared about would do that, and dumbfounded about her motivation. "Was it money, Bella?"

"I don't know, Carlisle. I do know she was interested in a management role. Maybe they offered her an advancement."

"She never approached me or Edward about a promotion request. Well, it doesn't matter. There's no win-win in this situation. We're best to just cut our losses and make sure she doesn't have access to anything here. I've already cut her remote email access, and we've cancelled her cellular phone plan effective this afternoon. I've asked her to return the keys to the office and she's promised to do that. In the meantime given what I've just learned, I'll be moving all client proposals into a locked filing cabinet. I don't think she'll try anything, but if she did, at this point it would be theft and I would press charges."

"What's going to happen with her tours for the next few days? I think she had at least two this weekend."

"I'm going to cover them. Don't look so surprised," he says with a smirk. "You know I've done it before. That's how we met, after all."

"Sorry, it's not that I think you can't do them. I know you'll be great. I learned from the best, Carlisle," I say with a smile. "What's the long-term plan, though?"

"Well, Mike says he's interested in learning to be a guide. He's taking a break from school during the Fall semester. Mike knows the itineraries, and if he's listened at all during our tours, my guess is he'll pick up the work quickly. It's easier to find bus drivers, so that will help us out until we can hire another guide. We're entering our slow season, which thankfully won't be too slow this year due to Edward's prospecting efforts. I also have a couple of guides on the back-up list who might be interested in coming on full-time. We'll make due, Bella. We always do."

I receive a text from Edward then and tell Carlisle to let me know if he needs any support. Back at my desk I call Edward.

"Hi," I say into the phone. "Did you want to hang out tonight?" We didn't discuss plans on Thursday or this morning, but I have to be up early tomorrow so I'm not up for going out.

"Oh, well I guess I assumed we would. Is that OK?"

"I'm always okay with hanging out with you. But I have to work early tomorrow, so I don't want to be up too late. What do you have in mind?"

"Can you come over to my place? Do you need anything for tomorrow or do you have enough here now?"

"I have an outfit there I can wear to work tomorrow."

"OK, I'll pick you up in 10 minutes."

In the car I give him the run-down on Lauren. He's as blown away by it as Carlisle, maybe more so because he took the Microsoft loss so personally. "Let's forget about it tonight," I suggest. "Lauren's not worth it, and I want to enjoy my evening with you."

When we reach the door to his condo, Edward puts his hands over my eyes. "What's this about?" I ask as he guides me inside.

"Keep them closed, Bella. Just stay there a minute."

I do as he asks, leaning against the counter where he places me. "OK, open your eyes." When I do he shouts, "Tada!"

"What's this? Edward, what are you up to?" I laugh. On the counter is small cake with a Superman figure sticking out of the frosting. It looks like a kid's birthday cake. There's a lit candle in the shape of the number one in Superman's outstretched hand. "Am I supposed to blow this out?" I ask him with a smirk.

"Well, technically I think I should blow it out, because _Superman _is holding the candle." When I look closely, I notice that Wonder Woman is on her back, with a little frosting pillow under her head.

Suddenly I get it, and I grab a swipe of the icing and smear it on his cheek while I wrap my arm around his neck. "Mr. Cullen, or should I say, Sexual Superhero, is this in celebration of our four-week anniversary? Why the number 1, though?"

"Four weeks, one month. You say tamaeto, I say tamahto. Same difference. That, and they only had the 1st birthday candle," Edward says with a kiss. "You are my Wonder Woman, Ms. Swan. Hopefully a _very satisfied_ Wonder Woman."

"Yes, I notice that Wonder Woman has quite the satisfied look on her face. Superman looks a little too pleased with himself. Maybe he needs to be put in his place."

"Oh really, what place might that be?"

I sink down to my knees and pull open his belt, unbutton and unzip his pants, and push them down his legs. "You're going commando. I like it," I tell him before I wrap my mouth around his cock. I use my tongue to swirl it around his tip inside my mouth, then take in a deep breath through my nose, relax my jaw, and pull him down my throat as far as I can. I breath out, then pull back just before a gag reflex kicks in, sucking hard as I go. Edward's hands wind into my hair and I hear him gasp and feel his hips thrust in opposite reaction to my suck.

"Holy shit," Edward says. "This is a very good place to be put. Fuck, Bella. I love how you give me head." He's thrusting in and out of my mouth, panting through his words. "Fuck, so good. I'm going to come, sweetheart. Bella, Bella, Bella," he pants through each thrust.

I've not done this very often, but it's such a turn-on with Edward. I love that I can make him feel this way, and bring him to orgasm so quickly. He's normally got amazing endurance, but there's something about being in my mouth that takes him over the edge quickly. On the next pass down his cock I hit the back of my throat, very quickly pulling back before I gag, but also unintentionally unfurling my lower lip from around my teeth such that they drag slightly against the underside of his shaft.

"Holy fucking shit!" Edward screams out. I guess he likes the teeth. "Oh fuck, Bella, I'm coming. I'm coming."

He begins to squirt down my throat and I take him in deep again, trying to get him as far back as possible so the taste of his semen doesn't land too much on my tongue or the roof of my mouth. I do like doing this for him, but I'd be lying if I said it tastes good. I swallow quickly, then anchor my arms on his torso to pull myself to standing. I run my finger through the icing on his cheek, pulling it into my mouth with what I hope is a sexy smirk. Truthfully, I want to replace the icky taste in my mouth with a sweet one. "Happy Anniversary, Superman."

"Oh, Bella, it ain't over yet."

* * *

**A/N** - And I bet you thought sappy, love-sick Edward would come out to play for their anniversary. I like this side of him better. :-)


	84. Chapter 84

"I think _you_ deserve to _blow_ out the candle, Bella." It's still flaming, dripping wax down Superman's arm and onto the counter. I blow it out and take another swipe of frosting from the cake.

"Yum, will we get to eat this cake?" I ask him.

"Later." Edward shucks his shoes, socks and pants that are down around his feet, then takes off his t-shirt so he's completely naked. "Didn't we have the concept of a naked night? We should reinstate that. Your turn."

I'm undressing and am down to my panties when the doorbell rings. "Pizza's here," Edward announces. What?! "Stay here." I have no intention of getting the door.

He runs to his room and emerges with a towel around his waist. I slink down the side of the kitchen island, out of view from the front door. However, my clothes with the exception of my panties are in a pile in plain sight. I hear Edward talking with the pizza guy, telling him to hang on a minute while he grabs his wallet. Edward rushes to his pants on the floor, fishes out his wallet and then some cash, and walks back to the door that's slammed shut with the delivery driver inside the apartment. Ack, this is uncomfortable.

"Thanks man," Edward says as he opens the door to let the guy out. I stand assuming he's left the condo, but to my horror my exposed chest is on full display as the guy looks back while shaking Edward's hand.

"Ack," I shout, pulling my arm across my chest and plopping down behind the counter again. I rise carefully when I hear the door finally shut.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't think he would see anything. I meant to keep him out in the hallway," Edward says contritely while helping to pull me up to standing. I've had so many embarrassing moments these last few weeks that I'm unfazed. I shrug my shoulders and move to open the pizza box. "You're OK with that?" Edward asks incredulously.

"I'm not exactly OK with it, but what can I do? They're just breasts, Edward. Magical breasts that talk to you, perhaps, but nevertheless, just breasts."

Edward grabs me around the waist and kisses me hard. "I love these breasts, Bella," he says while cupping one of them and using his other hand to pull off my panties. "Come here, you deserve to be freshly fucked." Oh my.

Edward leads me to the piano, turning me to face him between the keys and the bench. He drops the top cover so it lays flat, then tells me to sit on the lid and spread my legs. Hmm, this could be interesting. When I've done what he asks, he opens the keyboard and sits down on the bench. Edward uses his hands to pull my ass to the edge, and I need to use my own hands to hold myself in place so I don't fall. He puts my feet on the keyboard, filling the room with the discordant sound of my toes pushing down on the keys. At least I'm now steadier in this position, anchored by both my feet and my hands.

Edward scoots the bench closer and runs his hands from my calves down to the keys. He starts a soft and sweet tune on the piano, playing between my feet. At one point, his right hand flies over my foot to the higher keys, and clearly my foot is in the way because he plays a few phantom notes on my toes as his fingers come back between my leg.

My legs have relaxed, but Edward puts up his left hand to push my leg wide, tells me to keep it there, then pushes apart my other knee, as well. When he leans in to lick my pussy, I writhe against his face. Both his hands are back on the keys, faltering a little while he sucks my clit. He switches to long licks, his tongue flattening over my lips and clit. I can see everything from this position, including Edward's cock bouncing a little between his legs.

"Does this turn you on, Edward?" I ask him with a husky voice.

"Fuck yes, Bella. He stops playing and brings a hand down to his cock, stroking it as he looks at me. "This is more awkward than I thought it would be, sweetheart. I want you to come so hard, preferably around my cock." Two of his fingers pump in and out of my pussy, and I'm not sure why he thinks this is awkward because I'm feeling fantastic. He brings his mouth back to my clit, flicking it with his tongue while his fingers continue to pump. "Does that feel good?" he asks rhetorically, given that my hips are rising of their own accord off the piano. "I'm going to make you come like this, Bella. Then I'm going to fuck you against the window where anyone could see."

Oh, the window! I look over and notice for the first time that we're exposed in this location. There are joggers on the trail below, someone actually looking up towards Edward's building. "Edward, can people see into these windows?"

"Maybe. Probably. With binoculars for sure. The glare of the sunset should obscure things." Shit, but it's kind of a turn-on, too. Edward resumes sucking my clit, using his tongue inside his lips to flick it furiously. His fingers curl into me and I arch sharply off the piano using my feet and hands for leverage. My leg twitches, and I bounce it up and down on the keys while I climax. I pull back from Edward's mouth when I've had too much, and he pulls his fingers from my pussy.

"Ready for round two, Bella?" He palms his cock, stroking it while he looks at me. "Because fuck, sweetheart, I'm so ready to be inside you." I slide off the piano, my legs a little weak, and Edward takes me to the window. "Wrap your arms around my neck."

I do as he asks and suddenly Edward hoists me up to his waist, pressing my back against the glass. Ooh, car-door sex was fantastic. Window sex is going to be great.

Edward doesn't disappoint. He slowly slides me down to align with his cock, my back squeaking a bit on the glass. His hands are on my ass, and when he pushes into me while also dropping me down the window, his fingers splay my legs wide. Something about that movement has brought my already sensitive clit in direct connection with his pubic bone, which rubs against me as he thrusts up into my pussy. "Fuck, you always feel incredible," he says through labored breathing. I know this position is a workout for Edward. "Best - fucking - workout - ever!" he shouts through his thrusts, as if reading my mind. I'm grunting, my clit stimulated perfectly in this position. I feel an orgasm wash through me again and can't keep my legs clenched around Edward's waist as I come.

"Edward, I'm coming," I whisper yell while biting his shoulder. He pumps harder against the window, gripping me tighter with his arms as my legs go slack through my shaking. Edward grunts through three powerful thrusts. We're slippery from sweat, and when he hoists me up during his final thrust, his cock slides out of my pussy below my legs, spraying come against the window. I flail a little but settle my legs on the ground, Edward leaning into the glass to hold himself steady.

"You OK, sweetheart? That didn't go quite as planned," he smirks at me through labored breathing.

"I had a great time, Edward. I am well and truly, freshly fucked." I sink down to the floor, noticing the spray for the first time but oddly not at all grossed out by it. I also notice a biker who has stopped on the path, holding binoculars and staring up at us while palming his cock. "Oh shit, we put on a show," I tell Edward as I crawl away from the window.

Edward stands proudly and walks to me, bending down to offer me a hand up. "It was bound to happen some time, sweetheart," he says with a kiss to my lips as I rise to a stand. Edward's arm goes around my waist, pulling me into him. "Are you freaking out?"

"How is it that this doesn't freak out you? That thing with your parents was mortifying but you're OK with a random stranger seeing us fuck against a window, and you come on the glass?"

"I don't know. I'm too sated to care. You're my freshly fucked Wonder Woman, and I'm some kind of Sexual Superhero with you, though admittedly my legs of steel might have been affected by kryptonite this afternoon. Maybe we should go on the road. Put on a show."

"Hah, yeah that'll happen. What, some kind of carny freak show where we dress up in costumes and get each other off?"

"Oh, good idea. I know what we're going as for Halloween! Rose and Em throw a huge party every year. I've always hated having to dress in a costume so I perfected the whole paparazzi reporter look - camera, hat, press pass, note pad, and pen. Lamest costume ever but gets people off my back. This year, though, you and me baby, Wonder Woman and Superman," Edward smirks at me.

* * *

**A/N -** So?


	85. Chapter 85

The rest of the weekend flies past. Edward and I are apart Sunday night - the first in many days. Since Edward isn't working, he spends the evening with Emmett and Rose, deciding to stay in their guest room after they've had a few beers. I miss his warmth in my bed, but I'm so exhausted from my third trip to Rainier in a row that I fall asleep quickly. Tomorrow will be grueling.

On Monday, I convince Jess to switch tours with me. Mike is the driver, so it's not a hard sell. She has the Waterfall and Wineries tour, which now holds special memories for me. I get Sam for my driver and that further brightens my day. Sam's daughter had a baby girl last week, so the proud grandpa is a fun companion on my trip. I have a group that's mostly retirees, and banter about grandchildren fills the bus.

We end up with a rather loud drunk, though, making parts of the tour uncomfortable. It's an elderly woman who can't hold her liquor, and gets belligerent when I suggest she stop partaking in the wine tastes. Sam steps in and calmly talks with her, distracting her from drinking during our Vintner's Choice tasting at Chateau Ste. Michele. Usually the driver stays with the bus, but Sam was cajoled to come along to the tastings by the passengers.

Later, when Sam is driving just the two of us back to the office, he explains that our drunk tour guest just lost her husband, and is on new medication that probably made her reaction to alcohol stronger. I suddenly feel very selfish for griping about her, even if it was only in my head. Edward has said he thinks I'm a good person. Moments like this make me think he doesn't know me at all.

"Sam, I don't know what I would have done without you today. You're really good with the tour guests. Have you ever considered being a guide?"

"Oh Bella, that's really sweet. I just do this to keep busy - retirement blows. I'm bored out of my mind most of the time."

"Carlisle is looking to expand his pool of guides. You're such a natural with the guests, Sam. And I think it would be fun to have someone who can relate to guests differently than most other guides."

"You mean someone who is old like most of our tour guests?" he smirks at me.

"No, not exactly. You have amazing personal stories to tell about a lot of the places on our itineraries. And you're such a great story-teller. Tour guests eat it up when you talk. You're a natural, Sam. You should think about it, at least."

"Thanks Bella. I'll give it some thought."

When I make it home from work Edward is waiting inside my apartment. He's in process of cooking grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup - comfort food that smells amazing. I hug him around the waist and breathe in his scent. "Hi honey, I'm home. I notice you're barefoot. Now I just need to get you pregnant to complete the picture."

Edward turns around and kisses me on the lips. "I'll be your Mr. Mom if you'd like," he says. "Planning kids anytime soon, Miss Bella?"

We're joking, but suddenly this is a conversation I want to have with Edward - I really want to know his thoughts about children. I step away and clear my throat. "Let me change my clothes. I'll be right back."

When we're seated at the dining room table eating dinner, I tell Edward about Sam becoming a proud grandpa this week. "My parents can't wait to be grandparents," he says. "I think they never say anything to Em and Rose because they don't want to pressure them. So, I'm the son who hears it all the time."

"Do you think your parents know they've tried to have kids?"

"As far as I know, they aren't aware of their attempts to have children or their plans for adoption. But still, my mom wants Rose and Em to make those decisions by themselves."

"How does your mom mention it to you?"

"Oh, you know - whenever we're out and there's a cute baby, my mom will comment about how she wants to be a grandma. Or she'll ask me outright if I ever plan to have kids. She's done that multiple times, even though the answer is the same."

"What do you tell her?" I fish.

Edward looks at me and swallows. "I tell her that it depends on who I end up with and whether they want to have kids."

"That's very altruistic of you, Edward. You don't have any desire on your own to have or not have children?"

"Well, that's what I tell my mom," he says somewhat nervously. "I do want kids. I have great role models - I'd be crazy not to want what they've had. How about you?"

"I want kids." Edward's face visibly relaxes. "I was an only child, with divorced parents. I'm not complaining, but I'd like to _stay _with the father of my children, and I want at least two kids. Beyond that, I think it depends on luck and genetics."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm 27. It's not like I'm ancient, but women have a harder time getting pregnant the older they get. It'd be nice to get pregnant before I'm 30, you know?"

"So that's my timetable, huh? Three years to knock you up?"

"You're planning to knock me up?" I smirk at him but inside the butterflies are doing somersaults.

"Sweetheart, I'm planning my entire life with you. Here's how I think about it: I've known you for about a year; I pined for you at least 11 months of that time; lusted after you for nine months; and hung on your every word the entire time I've known you. I fell in love with you almost from our first date, and in the past month I've fulfilled nearly every fantasy I've ever had. How can I not want to spend the rest of my life with you?"

I blink, and a tear runs down my cheek. "Freaked out yet?" Edward asks.

I shake my head no and grab his hand across the table, playing with his fingers like we did on our first date on the ferry. "Edward, I really want you to meet my family."

"I want that too, sweetheart. First up is your dad. What about your mom?"

"She wants me to come to Florida for Thanksgiving. Is that something you might want to do with me?"

"That's a great idea, Bella. Florida in November. What about Christmas? What do you do then?"

"I usually spend it with my dad in Forks."

"I want to spend it with you this year, Bella. Do you think your dad might want to come down to Seattle for it? We could include him in my family's Christmas. But if that's too much, I understand if you need to go to Forks. Would you let me spend some of that time with you?"

"You want to come to Forks with me at Christmas?"

"I want to spend it with you. If that's in Forks, then that's what I'll do."

"Edward Cullen, I love you so much. Let's talk with my dad about it next weekend. You should check with your mom and dad on whether they'd be OK with two extra guests. I'd love to convince my dad to come down to Seattle. I'll call my mom about Thanksgiving, too."

* * *

**A/N - **Yes, I know, only 1 month in and discussing marriage, kids, and holidays. Remember the premise of this fic - a romance that blooms fast and deep. ;-)


	86. Chapter 86

On Wednesday morning I'm scrambling to pull items from my basement storage locker that we'll need for camping. I want to get in one last experience with the truck, completing Edward's mission to make new memories before I pass it along to my dad.

Jake and I built a custom tent that fits over the bed of the truck. He handled the collapsible structure and I sewed the canvas together. With the hatch down, two people can sleep very comfortably on an air mattress. I'm proud of the tent design, which includes a mesh skylight and side windows. The windows and skylight have canvas flaps in case it rains. I haven't used it in more than two years, and the canvas could really use another waterproofing. At least the forecast calls for dry weather. I'll need to tell my dad to waterproof the tent when I hand it over along with the truck.

Once I've stacked the camping gear in my living room, I pack my bag for the weekend. I'll need Edward's help to load the truck, so we'll swing by my place tomorrow morning before our road trip. We're spending the night at his place, but he doesn't know that yet. He's working until 4:00 pm, and I've told him to call me before leaving the office. I want to make sure my date is all set before he enters his condo.

At noon, I swing by the office with lunch and hand deliver an invitation to Edward. It's a plain card that explains my dinner-and-a-movie plans for the evening. I know it's a simple concept, but what Edward doesn't realize is that the execution will be anything but typical. He asks what movie we're seeing, but I smirk and tell him he'll just have to wait. "Are you driving?" he asks.

"Yes, I have the truck," which is true because it's in the parking lot. I need to run errands before our evening.

"And you want to meet at my place at 4:00?"

I nod. We're in his office eating sandwiches and Edward fires up his computer. "Let's see if I can guess," he says. Within seconds he's scanning through the theater listings, firing off potential movies. I retain my Mona Lisa smile. "Come on, just a clue," he says.

"OK, well it's an action flick," I tell him. Edward spends the rest of our lunch familiarizing himself with the action movies currently in first and second-run theaters. "Edward, I need to head out. Don't leave work until I call you. I know you're planning to be done at 4:00, but I might need a little more time."

"Fine," he huffs. "You know, Bella, you could have told me we were doing dinner and a movie tonight. I would have been excited to do anything with you. I love that you're taking the reins tonight."

I smile and lean over to peck him on the lips. "I know, Edward. But the anticipation was fun, and it was payback for you being cagey about our concert date." His door is open, so I don't linger when he gives me another kiss goodbye. On the way out I wave goodbye to Carlisle, who tells me to have a great trip on the Olympic Peninsula.

I run my errands, pushing the envelope of my comfort level when I hand over my credit card to the clerk at one of the stores. She smiles and tells me to have a great night as she finishes bagging my items. By 2:30 pm I'm finally at Edward's place, rushing to get everything set up.

The wires give me the most trouble, and I briefly think about calling Rose for help, but when I finish, cross my fingers, and try everything out one time before resetting it back to the beginning, I breathe a sigh of relief that I've done it on my own. It's been five years since I've messed with this stuff - amazing what you can forget once you leave school.

I get dressed in my new outfit and pull together everything on trays. I'm wobbly in the shoes since I so rarely wear heels. It will be fun to be taller next to Edward, though.

The last step is food. I prepared a pan of chicken alfredo lasagna last night that just needs to be heated in the oven for an hour. There's garlic bread, as well, and two slices of chocolate cake that I picked up from the Alki Bakery. I don't have a vegetable, but there's spinach in the lasagna so I'm calling it a balanced meal. Dinner won't be until 7:30, so I can bake the lasagna after Edward arrives.

When I glance at the clock and see it's 3:55 pm, I call Edward and tell him to come home when he's finished. Knowing Edward, he's thought of nothing but leaving work since I was there at lunchtime, so I doubt he's had a very productive day in the office. He puts in his bluetooth ear piece and talks to me the entire ride home, trying to get me to divulge our movie plans. "Edward, I tell him, you liked _Music and Lyrics_ - just trust me on this. I think you'll like this movie experience, too." I hear the door handle open as I finish my sentence.

Here goes nothing, I think to myself.


	87. Chapter 87

"Holy shit," Edward mouths in soundless expression as his eyes go wide.

"Hello Edward. Welcome to dinner and a movie, Isabella style. You may not realize this, but I've taken some A/V training in my life. Comes in handy as a teacher."

Edward glances around his condo and notices the cameras mounted on tripods. I've placed two in the living room, one in the kitchen, and one at the end of the hallway near the guest bedroom, aimed at the door to the master bedroom and entryway. There are also two in the bedroom, but he doesn't know that yet. His head whips back to face me.

"Do you like?" I ask referring to my outfit. I'm wearing a cigarette or candy girl outfit with an extremely short skirt, tight white blouse, suspenders, and a small hat. Black thigh-highs stockings and four-inch, black high heels complete the look. In my hand is a tray, filled with an assortment of items that we'll be using tonight, if this goes as planned. Edward doesn't say anything for a moment, but I give him time to process his surroundings before I start freaking out that this was a bad idea. I'm on the verge of back-tracking from my plans when he clears his throat.

"You did all this?" I nod. "And the cameras?"

"Rented," I explain.

"And they're rolling?" I nod again, though he can see the red lights indicating that they're turned on.

"Edward, I have something you must change into. It's folded on this tray. Come take a look."

He drops his briefcase by the door and approaches me, looking down at the tray I'm holding in my right arm. There's a bow tie on top, and I use my eyebrows to confirm that Edward should put it on.

"Edward, tonight you're the usher at our movie theater. You will need to change your clothes, sweetheart. Your attire is all wrong. Would you like some help with that?" He nods, so I try to ease him into this. I've never done this before so it feels a bit like when I'm in a job interview, aiming for an appearance of confidence but internally insecure that I'm messing up.

I put the tray on the counter before unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it off his shoulders. Then I remove his belt and push his pants down his legs. He toes off his shoes, and I remove his socks and push all his clothing into a pile. Edward is now standing in his black boxers and they will do for now. I grab the bow tie, and loop the collar around Edward's neck, snapping it into place. "There, all set." I tell him before leaning up to kiss him gently on the lips. Edward seems unsure about the protocol. "You can touch me, Edward. Would you like to understand how tonight will work?"

He nods, but seemingly gains control of his faculties again. His right arm wraps around my waist and pulls me to him. In my heels, my pelvis is aligned with his erection. I palm it and kiss his lips. "My intention is that we will both have a very good night, Edward," I say with a slight squeeze of my hand before pulling slightly at the elastic waist of his boxers. "We'll soon be taking these off, and some of my clothing as well. Eventually, we'll end up in the master bedroom. There will be dinner, but not until later. It's Happy Hour, so I think we should both be made happy. To start, there's a little liquid courage, and I'd like to share my purchases with you."

I slide out of Edward's arm and grab the tray on the counter. There are only a few items on it, including two shots of tequila. I offer one to Edward and take the other, clinking glasses before downing my shot in one swallow and setting the glass aside. Edward follows suit. I lift another item off the tray and place it in Edward's hand. "I had to do some research to understand what my options were tonight. Do you know what this is, Edward?" He swallows and nods his head yes. "Would you like me to put it on?" Another nod.

I grab the item from his hand and drop to my knees at this feet. With a glance back at the camera to confirm the shot is good, I grab his boxers and pull them down and off his legs. Edward's erection springs free, and I place a gentle kiss on his tip. "Hold still," I tell him. I stretch the silicone ring to fit over Edward's cock, then position it at the base of his shaft. There's a built-in vibrating clitoris stimulator at the top, which I activate while sucking his tip into my mouth. Edward moans loudly. I release him with a pop and rise to standing. "The vibration should last for one hour. This is a disposable ring. I think we should make the most of our time with this toy, don't you?"

"Fuck, Bella. Shit, that vibration feels good." He's so hard, his erection is pointed upright at my belly. "Take it off, sweetheart, I want to fuck your pussy." Edward says while pulling at my short skirt. I pull the material up to expose my crotchless underwear. "Oh god, that's so very convenient," Edward says. "Where do you want it?"

I love that he's letting me direct for the cameras. I pull out a bar stool, turning it around so it's in view of the cameras. As I consider the angle, however, I realize my skirt will obstruct the view, so shimmy it down my hips, my ass pointed at the camera, until I'm left in just my panties, tight top, and hat. The blouse can go too, so I turn around and remove it for the camera. I keep on the small top hat, which is attached by hair pins. I've scripted most of this evening in my head, but it feels a little strange to act it out.

"Come here, Edward," I tell him as I sit on the stool and spread my legs. His erection seemingly leads the way, and he slides it home the second he reaches my pussy. "Holy fucking shit!" I shout as the clitoris vibrator makes contact. Edward pulls back and I feel the loss instantly. I use my hands on his ass to pull him into me again, grinding against the top of the cock ring as he leans down for an open mouth kiss. My legs wrap around his hip, and we start fervently grinding. I start coming hard and quick and Edward starts thrusting, pulling back and slamming in with a grunt. One of his hands palms my breast, the other grips my hip. I'm still pulsing from my first orgasm when Edward pushes in and moves his hips in a circular motion, the vibrator rubbing against my clit again. I come hard a second time, arching my back and squirming hard on the seat.

Edward pulls out, grabs his tip and rubs it round my lips. "The ring keeps me harder longer, Bella, but my orgasm at the end is mind-blowing. You, on the other hand, can come repeatedly. Would you like that?" I feel the slight vibration through the tip of his cock as he pushes it just slightly into my pussy. "Tell me when it gets too much, sweetheart. Sounds like you have a long night planned and I don't want to wear you out."

"Over the couch, Edward. I want you to fuck me from behind over the couch." The vibration won't wear me out as much in that position. It's not how I imagined this scene, but I knew I'd have to do some improvising. He pulls back, and I stand behind him, turning him towards the camera so his erection is in the frame. I stroke him a few time for the camera, then kiss his back and walk to the couch. I lean over the back so my ass is in view of the camera in the living room and then spread my legs. Edward, who has followed behind me, rubs his hand through my lips and pushes two fingers inside. I can't be sure but I think this will be in full view of the camera.

"Ready, Bella?"

"Inside, Edward. Let me feel you, please," I plead.

He slowly enters me, and uses his hands to lift my hips off the couch. I push back against the cushions and use my toes to stay at an angle that allows Edward to slide in and out smoothly. I can feel the vibration inside, but it's much less powerful this way. The clitoris stimulator hits the back of my lips when Edward pushes in to the hilt. The sensation is pleasurable, but I probably won't come again like this. That's good, because I want to have energy to continue. Edward thrusts hard and fast, and I do my best to keep up with his pace.

"I'm going to come soon," Edward grunts out. "Bella, do you want to come again?"

"Okay," I pant, because now if given the choice I can't seem to say no. Edward pulls out and moves to sit on the couch, gently urging me to stand and straddle him. I kneel on the cushions over his lap, then slide my pussy over his cock. I don't move right away. The vibrator hits me just below my clitoris, but close enough that I feel the stimulation everywhere around my core. Edward puts both hands on my neck and leans in for an open mouth kiss, mingling his tongue with mine.

"Move, Bella. Can you ride me, sweetheart? I need you to fuck me. I'm desperate to come." I start to move, first grinding, then bouncing on my knees. On each downward motion my clit bounces briefly against the vibrator. Edward reaches down and repositions the ring slightly so that it lands squarely on my clit.

"Oh god, yeah this is so good, so good, so good. Fuuuuuck, Edward. I had no idea. We have to buy more of these," I rasp as I start to convulse. He's panting, then grabs my hips and thrusts up while pulling me down repeatedly through my orgasm. He groans loudly while squeezing my ass hard, his eyes tightly shut through several more thrusts.

When he stills and grabs me to him, panting into my neck, I pull back my pelvis slightly so the cock ring isn't against my over-sensitive clit. "I need to take this off, Bella. I can't stop the vibration, but I think we're done with this one. I sit all the way back on his knees and watch while Edward removes the ring, tossing it to the floor where it continues to buzz. That strikes me as funny and I start chuckling.

Edward looks at me sideways and with a smirk says, "Is something funny, Bella? Laughing after sex deflates the ego a little."

"I don't know. It just struck me as odd - the fact that we can't turn it off. It'll vibe for another 45 minutes or so. How does someone last for a whole hour with that thing?!"

Edward leans forward to kiss my lips lightly, then uses his hands on my waist to pull my torso tight against his own. He cages me in his embrace, squeezing tightly. I squeeze back with my arms that are wrapped around his shoulders.

There's not an answer to my question, and I don't want to laugh anymore. In fact, I'm starting to lose interest in this whole charade tonight. I just want to hug Edward tightly, maybe make love to him in the bed again.

* * *

**A/N -** I know you were expecting them to watch the security camera videos, but this was always the plan. I struggled to get this one right - maybe why it's the longest chapter yet, and I've still had to split the date into two chapters (so more to come). Still not super happy with it. Please tell me what you think.


	88. Chapter 88

We're still sitting on the couch, me a little melancholy about the evening. "Hey," I say as I pull back from his torso to look into his eyes. "I love you." I plant a kiss on his lips, then one on his cheek. Edward repeats the gestures.

"You know that I love you, too. What's wrong, sweetheart?"

I sigh, then hug him again. "I had this whole night planned - to film us, then splice together a reel from the digital files and watch it with you. I aced my A/V training, Edward," I say as I pull back and smile at him. "But I don't know - I kind of like sweetness more than kink right now. I've lost my energy to keep going with this. Do you care? My big date to wow you with my sexual adventurousness isn't going as planned."

Edward kisses me on the lips, slowly at first, then passionately, mingling his tongue with mine. His hands roam up and down my torso, one settling on my breast and the other on my ass, which he scoots closer to him so we're smooshed up against each other again. He kisses my chin and my jaw, sliding his mouth to my ear where he bites my lobe. He's got me panting again.

"Sweetheart," he whispers in my ear, "I love being with you in all sorts of ways. Let's forget about the cameras if you don't feel like doing that tonight. Let me love you, though. I want to make love to you. We can make the movie or watch the movie or whatever you want some other night."

With that, Edward removes his bow tie and then pulls off my small top hat, having a little trouble with the bobby pins. I'm still kneeling on the couch over his lap, my feet off the end of the cushions. Edward removes my shoes and asks me to stand. When I've done that, he takes off my thigh-high stockings, then pushes my crotchless panties down my legs, placing a kiss against my belly button once I'm naked. He has me lay down on the couch beside him, taking the spot against the back cushions for himself, turned on his side to look down at me.

"Bella, you're so beautiful." The fingers of his right hand trace from my neck to my pubic hair, then wrap around my waist. He pulls me to him, leaning down to kiss my lips, then a nipple, then my lips again. He smirks at me before saying, "I think we've already established that I love your breasts." His face turns serious again as he places a hand over my heart. "But I love what's under there, too, Bella. You did all this for me, and I know it's not something you've done before. I love that you wanted to experience this with me. It's exciting, but more than that, you being adventurous is such a turn-on. But even when we're like this, Bella, just you and me without all the toys and costumes, I'm turned on by you. Don't get me wrong. I like the toys - they're fun. But I don't need kink to want to be with you."

Edward and I end up watching television while the lasagna cooks. I've put it in the oven much earlier than originally planned. He's wrestled the battery out of the cock ring by slicing through the silicone, and thrown the whole lot in the trash. I've meanwhile stored my two other purchases from the Lovers store into the drawer of his nightstand, with assurances that we can use them some other time. We're both in bathrobes now, me in a silk one that was meant to go with a lingerie set I decided not to wear in lieu of the candy girl outfit.

When the timer goes off on the lasagna, it's only 6:00 pm. I'm feeling a little down about my lame date night. I should have just organized something I had more experience with - like a trip to a Seattle Seahawks game, something I've done with my dad. "Hey you," Edward says while he comes to stand behind me and rubs my shoulders. I'm plating our lasagna and garlic bread. I lean back against his chest, and his arms wrap around my waist. "I'm sensing a downer vibe from you, Bella. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. Foolishness, maybe. You know, my big plans were kind of a bust."

"No they weren't. Bella, in case you didn't realize, I hand a mind-blowing orgasm about an hour ago. Anything else we do today is just gravy." He kisses my neck, then slides one arm up to my breast and cups it beneath my robe. "You're very slippery in this robe. I like it." His other arm slides down the silk to my thigh, inching up the hem until he's playing with my pubic hair.

"You know, I'm preparing food here. May not the most sanitary place to be putting your hands right now," I tease him.

"Oh please. Like that will stop me. How quickly you forget what my mouth can do in the same spots where my hands are right now." Edward starts tickling me at the waist with his lower hand, squeezing me in place with his upper one. I squirm and laugh. "Aha! I knew you had some joy left in you tonight. Just needed to tickle it out of you." Edward turns me around and kisses me on the lips. "I love you, Bella Swan. Be happy, _please _sweetheart. I love this night with you. I'm really looking forward to our trip, too. Camping with you. Meeting your friends. _Meeting your dad."_He grins at me and I can't help but be happy.

"You're an awesome happiness pill, Edward Cullen. I love you, too." I kiss him back, a firm peck on his lips, then wrap my arms around his waist and give him a big hug. "Hey, I have an idea," I announce as I pull away to look at his face. Edward looks at me expectantly. "What movie did you most want to see when you were trying to guess it this afternoon?"

"Umm, the new Bourne movie I guess. Why?"

"Let's go see the late show. We still have time. Actually, we could probably make the early show."

"No, the late show is fine. I'd like to do something first."

"What?"

"Well, there's this really amazing-looking dinner here, so I'd like to eat that. Then, I'd like to eat something else. But I want to eat in bed. You up for that?"

"I have chocolate cake for dessert," I tell him.

"Yes, well I was thinking of a different dessert. If you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all."

* * *

**A/N -** Hmm. Not much feedback on that last chapter. I'm guessing it didn't resonate. If you're still with me, let me know if this one redeems at all, or if I'm still off the mark. Helps improve my writing.


	89. Chapter 89

We wake at 9:00 am on Thursday morning, our late movie having lasted until 12:30 am. It will take us about two hours to get to the campground, ferry ride included, so we have plenty of time to take it easy. Edward makes us a breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs while I download the digital files to my laptop and package the cameras into their rental cases. After breakfast Edward packs a bag for our trip while I shower. He joins me there when I'm nearly finished. I hug his wet torso and kiss him sweetly, but keep things from getting passionate. Edward swats my ass when I step out to dry off.

"Hey! Payback will be a bitch, Edward."

"Oh, I can handle your payback, baby. Bring it on." I flush the toilet and turn on the hot water in the sink and bathtub, and Edward shrieks as his shower water turns cold.

"Thought you might need a cold shower_." _

"Bella, that's just cruel. Turn it off, sweetheart. Please."

"OK, if you're begging." I turn off the taps and then put my head back into the shower. "Better?"

Edward leans down to my lips. "Yes. Truce?" he asks before kissing me.

"Hmm, I'll have to think about that." I kiss him back, then pull away. "Finish up so we can run the cameras back to the rental store and head to my place to load the truck."

From inside the shower, Edward talks to me while he's washing his body and I'm applying lotion to my skin. "Are we becoming like an old married couple now? We're both naked and there's no hanky panky. What's up with that?"

"Are you asking if I'm in the mood for hanky panky? Or, are you implying that if we _were _an old married couple we wouldn't be having hanky panky anymore? I'm trying to follow the conversation here?"

"When we're an old married couple, I'll still be hanking for panky with you all the time."

"Edward, you didn't answer the question," I tell him with a grin while the butterflies flip flop because he said when, not if.

"Hmm, what was the question again?" He's rinsing out his hair in his funny face-forward manner, so his words are getting garbled in the shower water.

"Hanky panky."

"Right, that's not a question."

"I just like to say it. Isn't a hanky a cotten cloth that middle age men sneeze into and then store in their back pockets? It gets covered in snot and they keep sticking it back in their pocket. Then they expect their wives to wash it for them, somehow removing the disgusting item from said pocket."

Edward laughs. "I promise never to ask you to wash a hanky. But I can't promise that I won't want you to wash _me _as a precursor to some hanky panky. I _do _promise to reciprocate."

"So, you _are _asking me if I'm in the mood for some hanky panky."

"Can we stop saying that, please?" Edward asks as he steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. I've got an open bottle of cream on the counter from rubbing the lotion onto my legs and arms. Edward puts some on his fingertips and applies a tiny amount to my shoulders, then wraps his hands around my torso and applies the remainder to my breasts. "I think your chest deserve some of that," he says as he kisses my neck. He turns me around and kisses my lips sweetly, then bends down to take a nipple into his mouth.

"Yuck," he says loudly when he pulls away. "That shit tastes nasty!" I'm laughing at the face he's making.

"Edward, it's not edible. Brush your teeth and take a glass of water to get rid of the taste."

I dress in jeans, a t-shirt, and gym shoes - true camping clothes. Edward dresses similarly. The weather is expected to be clear but cool, dropping below 50 degrees fahrenheit at night. "Pack some warm clothes, Edward. It'll be cold at the campground." He throws a fleece jacket into his pack in response.

After we've returned the cameras and picked up a few items at the grocery store for our dinner tonight, we trudge up the stairs to my apartment and gather items to pack into the truck bed. We cover most items with a large blue tarp anchored in place by crisscrossing bungee cords over the open truck bed. The few heavy items - a cooler filed with beer, hot dogs, fruit, sandwiches, and chocolate; two piles of dry firewood; and the collapsible wood structure for the tent - will also help hold the tarp in place.

Edward drives us to the Bainbridge ferry, which we miss by a hair's breadth. Since we're not in a rush we make the most of waiting 30 minutes for the next one. Edward pulls out his guitar and sits outside on the lower hatch to play a few songs. There's sometimes a community feeling to waiting in line for the ferry. Today seems to be one of those times. A harmonica player joins Edward at the back of the truck and they play the blues together.

It might be antisocial, but I'm busy inside the truck with my laptop. I want to start splicing together a reel we can watch when we return to Seattle. We forgot to turn off the cameras, so each continued to record until its storage space became full. The result is a lot of unusable material, but many sweet moments, as well. I haven't figured out my approach to splicing yet, focusing instead on trying to quickly understand what video I have to work with. The early material is very kinky. It's embarrassing to watch myself in some of that.

A living room camera caught our conversation and actions on the couch. Most of that material, as well as what happened in Edward's bedroom, is very sweet. It will be hard to pull this into a smooth video. I realize that I could never have done this last night while Edward finished eating. It would have been way too much work to splice together the reel in time for a same-night viewing, so my original plans were doomed to fail regardless. I actually enjoyed how the night turned out, and Edward has assured me it was an awesome date.

An announcement tells drivers to return to their cars for ferry loading, so Edward shakes hands with his music companion, puts the guitar away, closes the hatch, and joins me back in the truck, where I'm closing my laptop. "Good stuff?" he asks.

"I don't know yet. I was mainly scanning through, cleaning up some files, that sort of thing."

"So, watching us do the deed hasn't turned you on?"

"It's a little odd to see myself in those situations. But anyway, I wasn't trying to get turned on. If I focus on watching you, I'm sure I'll have no problem."

Edward leans over to kiss me, but it's just a peck as we're second in line to load the ferry and are summoned to start our engine. Being second means we get an awesome front-row spot with a view on the lower car deck. We'll be first off, too.

We stay in the truck for the short ferry ride, and we're soon leaving Bainbridge Island for the Olympic Peninsula and driving over the Hood Canal Bridge. I secured us a camp spot at the Dungeness Recreation Area. Given we're not camping during a busy summer weekend, there were plenty of good sites available. Ours is a premium spot that backs to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and offers excellent privacy. There are trails through the park that lead to a large sandy spit, great for beach combing.

Edward is impressed with the tent design. We've backed the truck into the site and moved the picnic table around so it doesn't block our view to the firepit from the truck bed. We didn't eat lunch, and dinner will just be hotdogs, sliced carrots, and s'mores. We bought fruit, chips and prepared sandwiches for lunch so Edward and I have a quick bite once we've set up camp.

After a long walk through the park, including a leisurely beach combing exploration of Dungeness Spit, we head back to our campsite as the sun starts to set. Edward gets a fire started and I start to prepare our dinner items.

"So, tell me about Angela and Ben," he says once he's cooking his hotdog on a stick over the open flame.

"Well, you know a little already. They're expecting twins. We all went to high school together, and then college. Angela's dad is the Lutheran pastor in Forks. She's still pretty religious. So is Ben. By that I mean they go to service every Sunday, and are active in their church. I think Ang runs a bible study group or something. We don't talk about it much."

"What about you?"

"Am I religious? No. Probably why Ang and I don't talk about it much. You?"

"My dad was raised Episcopalian. His father was a minister. But religion was only vaguely a feature of my upbringing. When I was little we used to go to church on Easter and Christmas. I remember sitting in the pews bored, fighting with Emmett, and being constantly hushed by my mom or dad."

"My gran was Catholic. I went to mass with her a few times. I think she was disappointed that my parents didn't raise me in a faith, well, her faith in particular. But she didn't pressure me about it and I was never curious enough to want to explore it seriously. However, seeing the influence of religion on my Gran's life helped me relate better to some parents and students when I worked in the Catholic school. Not everyone there was active in the church, but there were enough parents who chose the school _because_ it was Catholic."

"Did you have to teach religion? How did that work?"

"The kids had a separate religion teacher. We had a few nuns in the school who taught. One was the religion teacher for the elementary school children. Another was the middle school religion and eighth grade social studies teacher - she was a riot, actually. Wore a full habit, which is unusual these days, and a black leather biker jacket in winter that she insisted was practical. The kids loved her. I liked her, too."

"So, Angela and Ben - anything else I need to know?"

"Hm. Well, to be honest I'm not sure if she'll have us sleep in the same bedroom. I hinted that it's my preference, but if it makes her uncomfortable we shouldn't make a big deal out of it."

"Can I sneak into your room during the middle of the night?"

"No! They have an awesome house overlooking the strait. It's from the 1890s, and it's been updated without removing the character. But it's noisy! If you sneak to my bedroom the floors will creak."

"How about at your dad's place. What are the sleeping arrangements there?"

"I'm not sure. There's a chance you'll have to sleep on the couch. If so, I promise to give you a back rub in the morning - it's not the most comfortable spot. I'm trying to get the courage to tell my dad that you'll be in my room with me. I'm in my late twenties. He can't possibly think I'm a virgin anymore. But it's also the first time he's meeting you, and he might think it's too soon. I actually have no idea and am a little nervous about bringing it up."

"Bella, I can sleep on the couch. It's no big deal."

"It is to me. I want to be treated like an adult by my dad - I just have to force myself to have the conversation. But just in case, we should make the most of tonight," I smirk at him. "You know, if we're sleeping alone for the next two nights."

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**A/N** - I'm usually 4 to 10 chapters ahead, which is helpful for ensuring continuity. But I have not had as much time to write lately, so my posting has caught up to my writing. Reviews do inspire me to write, so please tell me what you think if you'd like my posting to be frequent. I need to get writing!


	90. Chapter 90

**A/N - **This one is for a reader. You know who you are. :)

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Once the sun sets, the wind off the Strait of Juan de Fuca picks up. What was a brisk autumn night has turned frigid. Edward and I douse our fire and move into the tent. I've zippered two sleeping bags together to create a single large one, but even with extra blankets underneath and on top we're freezing.

"Take your clothes off, Bella," Edward tells me.

"What?! No way, it's freezing."

"I'll take off mine, too. We'll be warmer skin to skin. Just trust me."

I shimmy out of my fleece pajama pants and sweatshirt but use my feet to push them down into the sleeping bag in case I need to get warm again. Edward does the same, and also takes off his underwear. He pulls me to him when he's finished, then uses his hands and feet to also pull off my underwear. We're now both naked except for socks, which he's thankfully not trying to convince me to remove.

It's still bitterly cold. I'm shivering against Edward's skin but as he hugs me to him and rubs his hands up and down my back, I start to defrost and feel the heat of his body warm my bones."Better?" Edward asks when he notices I've stopped shivering.

I kiss his chest and wrap my arms around his back. "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry I doubted you Mr. Boy Scout."

"I think Boy Scouts are supposed to be chaste. I'm far from innocent with you, sweetheart." Edward accentuates his point by pushing his hips against me. "I know a way to make you even warmer. Turn on your stomach, Bella."

I do as he asks and I feel Edward's weight settle onto my back. The air mattress has a lot more give in it than either of our beds, so Edward's weight doesn't feel as heavy tonight. He uses his hand to pull my right knee to the side, settling his erection at the apex of my legs. "Can I fuck you like this, Bella?"

"Yes," I groan. Edward reaches a hand between us to rub my lower lips, first from the back and then dipping in between me and the mattress. I'm already a little wet but he gets me dripping. Edward removes his fingers, grabbing my hip with his hand. He slides his cock into my pussy and starts a slow rhythm.

"Bella, should I tell you what this feels like?" he asks into my ear. I nod but am a little immobile in this position. He shifts his weight slightly so he can get his hand under my torso, palming my left breast. His hand at my right knee pushes it back to alignment with my other leg, making his penetration shallower but better allowing his hand access between me and the mattress. He slides it down to feel where we're joined, then pulls back just a little to rest his fingertips on my clit.

"Are you comfortable, sweetheart?" I hum my affirmative response. "You have the softest skin," he says as his left hand squeezes my breast lightly. "I love sliding over your skin like this." He thrusts shallowly, which causes his torso to move over my backside. "You feel warm all over, but my cock is especially warm. I love being encased inside you, Bella. The walls of your pussy grip around me, and when you climax you squeeze me so tight. Even just like this, though, the pressure around my cock feels incredible."

He shifts again, just shallow thrusts while his fingertips start tapping very lightly on my clit. "I can't be sure, but the way you feel in this little nub here," he says with a tap of his index finger, "is how my entire cock feels right now. Are you warm enough now? Can I make you feel really good?"

"Yes."

Edward pulls his hands out from under me and places them on my hips, then slides them down to my knees and bends them to the side. "I want you to get up on your knees just slightly, Bella, but keep your shoulders on the mattress. I'm going to get on my knees slightly too, but will still lean on your back. Tell me if my weight gets too much, and try to keep me inside you when we move." He shifts back and we manuever into position, his cock sliding in deeper, much deeper. "Yeah, shit this feels good," he hisses. Edward's hands are still on my hips, and he takes two slow strokes before pulling me back against him firmly.

One of his hands snakes around to my clit, and there's more room now for him to rub it. He slides it down to the wetness where we're joined, fingering both his cock and my lips. "I love feeling my cock slide into you. Put your hand there, Bella." I push my hand down and between us, meeting his fingers first and then his cock, which slides past on a thrust. It's a little crowded there with both our hands and Edward's dick, but Edward then pulls his hand back to resume rubbing against my clit. "OK, sweetheart. I really want to move in you. Are you ready?"

"Yes," I rasp, apparently only capable of one word tonight.

Edward starts thrusting faster, and also rubbing faster on my clit. His other hand is on the mattress, giving him leverage against each of his thrusts and helping to keep his torso from crushing me. I'm up on one elbow, pushing back as best I can in this position. I feel an orgasm build, radiating out from my core. When I clench around Edward's cock, my legs shaking and eyes squeezed tight, he shouts out loudly. "Fuck, so good. Keep coming, Bella. Fuck, fuck." He puts more pressure on my clit, drawing out my orgasm as long as possible, but then moves his hand to my hip so he can thrust harder and faster. "I'm coming. Oh fuck this feels incredible." He thrusts several more times, then stills, breathing deeply. I feel spent, and very warm.

"Can you slide out now, Edward? That was incredible, but this is a little awkward on my neck now."

"Sorry, sorry. Too blissed out to notice." He kisses my shoulder then turns me around and kisses my lips when he's no longer weighting me down. "Every time with you is mind-blowing, Wonder Woman," he whispers against my lips.

"Mmmmm," is my response. Camping must suck the speaking skills right out of me.

We clean up with tissues and then move to our sides, Edward spooning me tightly. I'm no longer shivering, and sleep claims me quickly.


	91. Chapter 91

Angela is huge. In her non-pregnant state, she's normally thinner than me. She's about two inches taller and her build is small. In her pregnant state, she's still beautiful, but large. Weight has settled around her face, making it more rounded than bony, but of course the prominent feature on her body is the huge bulge in her middle. She greets Edward with a handshake and gives me a hug.

"Edward, you and Bella can sleep in this back bedroom if you want. Do you want to get the bags?" Ang points to a room off the entryway. It's got french doors and was probably meant to be a sitting room or office, but Ben and Ang have it set up as a guest room, with curtains on the glass-paned doors. "There's a powder room under the staircase, but I'm afraid you'll have to climb to the second floor for a shower. The hall bath is the second door on the left. I'd show you around if I weren't waddling."

"Ang, I remember my way around. Don't worry about it," I tell her.

Edward excuses himself and heads to the truck for our bags while Angela beckons me towards the kitchen and we settle into chairs at the breakfast table. Their kitchen and breakfast nook are at what used to be the back of the house and now constitute the middle. They open to a large family room addition that's four steps down and at the same ceiling height as the kitchen, giving the family room a loft feeling. The large windows in that room light the entire back and middle of the house. Wide views take in the strait, with Victoria, the capital of British Columbia on Vancouver Island, far in the distance. "I'm so ready to pop, Bella. I've got two months to go and I am sick of carrying all this weight around. Plus, I can't wait to meet these little buggers," she says as she rubs her belly.

"You look beautiful, Angela."

"The weirdest part is that people can't keep their hands off me. They're always touching my belly. It's sweet but creepy when little old ladies in the grocery store approach me and ask questions, _always_ putting one hand on my stomach and one on my shoulder. It must be the talking-to-a-pregnant-woman pose."

"What does Ben think of that?" I ask her. Ben's always been a little possessive of Angela's body. It's subtle, but noticeable. Ang and I talked about it once. She said it makes her feel wanted and safe.

"It's odd. People don't do it when Ben's around. Maybe because he's always got a hand on my shoulder."

"Where is Ben, anyway?"

"He should be home from work in about 30 minutes. He can walk to the hospital from here, but has started driving in case I go into labor. I'm not on bed rest, but the doctor said early labor is more common with twins and you know Ben, Mr. Boy Scout."

I snicker but am actually thinking about my own boy scout, who kept me very warm last night. "So Ang, are you OK with me and Edward sleeping in the same bed? I feel like I might have pressured you into it with my comments on the phone - I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Psssh. Bella, I'm not naïve. It's not like you're a teenager in my youth group. I think you're fully capable of not being influenced by raging hormones and making smart choices for yourself."

I laugh outright at that. "Well, I do think I'm making smart choices. He's really wonderful, Ang. But as for the hormones, I don't know. They rage plenty around Edward." I smirk at her.

"Oh god, don't go there. I was told sex when you're pregnant is amazing. I'm this big blob, Bella. The last thing I want is to have sex these days. Ben tells me I'm beautiful, but look at this face. I do love that he's sweet and devoted, though."

Edward clears his throat to announce his proximity, then joins us at the table. He explains that we'd like to take Ben and Angela out to dinner since they're hosting us for the night. It's agreed and we settle on the Bushwacker, a basic steak and seafood place in downtown.

Once Ben gets home, Edward and I change into slightly nicer clothes because we've been wearing our camping attire all day. It's fun catching up with Ben and Ang over dinner. Out of respect for Angela we all order kiddie cocktails as a joke and they arrive in martini glasses. Angela keeps getting dirty looks from a table of middle-aged women as she goes through three Shirley Temples. We goad her to act drunk, which she refuses to do. When she leaves to visit the bathroom, Ang stumbles a little and Ben catches her, helping her find her balance again. Walking around like that has to be tough. One of the women comes over to our table and tells Ben he should be ashamed of himself for letting her drink alcohol while she's pregnant. We all laugh before I politely tell her that her concern might be out of kindness for the unborn babies, but that she should mind her own business given that we're all drinking _nonalcoholic drinks_. The old bitties in small towns is something I've never gotten used to. Forks definitely had its share, but since my dad associated with fishermen, I didn't come into contact with the nosy women of town very often.

During dinner, Edward mostly listens to us recollect about our high school and college years. When Ben asks him about Chicago, he starts to contribute more. I squeeze his leg under the table while Ang and I talk about the freelance work she's done from Port Angeles and Ben covers Chicago sports teams with Edward. Edward squeezes my hand in response.

That night, Edward and I settle into the guest bed in pajamas and just stare at each other for a while. "I like your friends," he tells me.

"I like them too. I'm glad you could meet them. It feels like we're merging our lives more."

"That's what I want, Bella."

He pulls me against his chest and I wrap a leg over his waist, bumping against his erection. I put my hand down and squeeze it over his sleep pants but he grabs my wrist and pulls it back to kiss my palm.

"Are you sure?" he asks me in a whisper. "Ben and Angela might hear." The walls are very thin in this house.

"Their bedroom is on the other side of the house, over the family room addition."

Edward tilts my chin up to kiss my lips, and the movement causes a loud creak in the mattress. "Hmm, that's inconvenient," he whispers. His hand slides down to my play with my nipple over my t-shirt, and I arch into his hand causing another creak. When his hand pushes into my sleep shorts, the creak is very loud. "Shit. This isn't going to work, Bella."

Now I'm all worked up, though, and I really want this to work. I crawl over Edward and scramble off the bed. Edward gives me a puzzled look. I take off my t-shirt and sleep shorts and stand naked on the side of the bed. To encourage Edward to take action, I run a hand up to palm my breast and move my other hand into my lower lips. He gets the hint. Quickly.

Edward stands from the bed, slips out of his sleep pants and whips off his t-shirt. I drop to my knees and take his erection into my mouth while continuing to rub my own pussy. Edward moans quietly and pulls back from my lips. "On all fours, sweetheart," he whispers. I turn around and do as he asks, and Edward comes up behind me on one knee. He rubs his cock between my ass cheek, down to my pussy and through my wetness. Then he pulls back and uses his hand to get me worked up. I'm panting but trying to keep my voice down. I'm on the verge of coming when Edward pulls his hand back. No! No, I think to myself.

When he puts his cock inside me, I sigh deeply and then start convulsing almost immediately when he brings a hand around my waist to my clit and rubs it furiously while thrusting hard. I hear him hiss through my orgasm, but he's also trying to keep his voice down. Both his hands go to my hips, and he starts a fast rhythm. Our bodies slap against each other and Edward shifts his position slightly to avoid the sound. The effect is that he's now hitting my g-spot. I can feel another orgasm take root, and push back against his thrusts. Edward takes one of my knees in his hand and slides his fingers up the inside of my thigh, lifting my leg off the floor. I drop to my forearms to steady myself, and what was a g-spot tap has suddenly become a slam. Oh this is a good position. He starts thrusting wildly, but I've lost focus on anything but that spot inside and the orgasm that starts radiating out from my core to my legs and arms. I shake and have presence of mind to control my voice, but a loud grunt escapes me anyway.

Edward pants loudly after he stills, his cock still inside me. He gently places my leg on the floor and thrusts his hips forward to stay inside. I thrust back and he uses his hold on my waist to pull me back with him as he drops to sit against the heels of his feet. My knees are splayed on either side of his. Edward pulls me upright, and palms one breast while also feeling where we're joined. "You're so beautiful," he whispers in my ear. He starts rubbing my clit again and I grind against him. "I want to make you come again, sweetheart." His index finger filcks against my clit and he bites my ear lobe. "You're such a fucking turn-on, Bella Swan. Can you feel me getting hard again?"

"Yes," I whisper back while I clench around him.

"Mmm, that feels nice." I do it again, and he rubs my clit faster. He starts a gentle thrust of his hips and I spread my knees wider to take him in deeper in this position. "Fuck, I love this. Me inside you like this. I'm going to last a long time, Bella. Maybe I can get you to come multiple times like this. Are you up for that?" I nod my head, though honestly I don't know if I am. "You've got to stay quiet, though, Bella. Are you tired?" I nod again, because I'm sated and exhausted from my orgasms. "Then let's finish this tomorrow morning."

Edward says this through his thrusting and he's fully hard again so I don't know why he wants to stop. "Do _you_ want to stop?"

"This is about you, sweetheart."

"No it isn't, Edward. This is about _us_. I want to try something. I think we're at the right heights for it."

I lift myself off Edward's cock and rise to a stand. "Stand up, Edward." he does as I ask. "I'm going to grab my ankles, then I want you to try to slide inside me again. You may have to hold me upright. If it doesn't work, we'll try something else."

I place my feet about a foot apart, bend down and grab my ankles, then pop my knees back until my legs are stick straight. Edward stands behind me, moving his dick over my ass and pushing just very slightly at my anus. "Not there, Edward," I whisper loudly. "Lower."

"I know. Just teasing," he whispers back. It's a little awkward at first - bending and grabbing my ankles is too unsteady. I move forward with my hands on the floor, into a bridge position. Edward slides his cock into my pussy and gets a rhythm going that keeps him inside by bending slightly at the knees. I won't come like this, but I don't care - I've already had two mind-blowing orgasms.

"Fuck me hard and fast, Edward. Just do it, _please_." I want him to take control of my body. Tonight I just want to feel possessed. Maybe it's being with Ben and Angela, and the mutual possession they exhibit for one another. Sometimes it's too much for me, but here, in this room, I want Edward to take from me.

"This is an excellent position, sweetheart," Edward whispers through a soft grunt. I clench around him as he enters me, squeezing tight. "Shit, fuck Bella, do that again." I do it again, and again, and a third time. He's panting hard. This is a good work out for us both - my legs are getting sore but I want him to come like this.

"Let go, Edward. Fucking let go."

He grunts loudly, too loudly, then begins fucking me rapid fire and our skin slaps loudly. Neither of us seem to care, but when he cries out his release it's not quiet.

Later, when Edward joins me in bed after cleaning up in the powder room, he whispers to me that he ran into Ben in the hallway. Ben heard a scream and wanted to make sure everything was OK.

"What did you tell him?" I ask Edward.

"That I rammed hard into something in the dark, but that I'm fine and I'm sorry if I woke them."

We snicker at that and curl into each other for sleep. It's true enough.

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**A/N -** Please review. I really want to know what you think.


	92. Chapter 92

Sue Clearwater greets us at the door when we step onto the porch carrying our bags. My dad comes up behind her, placing a hand on Sue's shoulder. This is new.

We put our bags down at our feet and she shakes Edward's hand while I give my dad a hug. Next she hugs me, while I hear Edward tell my dad it's good to meet him and see them shake hands.

Sue leans down to pick up Edward's bag. "Come on Bella, I'll help put the bags away. Is Edward sleeping in your room with you?" Wow, that makes it easy!

"Um, yes." I grab my bag and without looking anyone in the eye slink between Edward and my dad up to my room, following Sue who has Edward's bag in her hand. Poor Edward. I didn't mean to abandon him alone with my dad, but I'd be a fool not to take Sue's offer that let's me avoid confrontation about sleeping arrangements.

When we reach my room, Sue sets Edward's bag on the floor and sits on the bed. "Bella, from the look you gave me on the porch, I'm guessing your dad didn't say anything to you."

"Um, you mean about you? No."

"I'm sorry it was sprung on you, Bella. I told Charlie to say something. It's nothing bad - in fact I think it's pretty wonderful. Your dad makes me very happy. We've been seeing each other for about four months, but it's only been in the last month that it's gotten more serious."

"Serious how?"

"Well, we've discussed moving in together. I know we're all adults and we don't need to ask anyone's permission, but I asked Seth and Leah what they thought about it, and I wanted Charlie to ask you."

Seth and Leah are Sue's children. They hung around with Jake's crowd; I knew them but wasn't close to either. Leah is a year older than me, so two years older than Jake. She treated him like her little brother, and it always seemed that in Leah's eyes I was never good enough for him. Seth is three years younger than Jake. He used to be a sweet kid, though I haven't kept in touch with Sue's kids since I've been in Seattle and he'd be in his early twenties now. Sue's husband Harry passed away around the time of my split from Jake. I didn't go to the funeral, but I'm sure my dad did. He, Harry and Sue were friends, and it hit him hard when Harry died unexpectedly from a heart attack.

"You want my permission to move in with my dad?"

"Not permission, exactly. More like support. Bella, I know we don't know each other very well, but I've always admired you - your independence, your poise and intelligence, and the way you looked after your dad when you were in high school. Leah and Seth have, too. They both speak highly of you."

I find that hard to believe, at least as regards to Leah. "Hmm," is my answer.

"You probably don't want to hear about Jake, but I'll just tell you this. Leah was so mad at Jake when he broke off your engagement. They haven't talked much since he moved to Texas. She thought Jake didn't handle that situation well at all."

"It's water under the bridge, Sue." I really don't want to discuss Jake with her, especially when Edward is downstairs. I'm still processing that my dad is dating, let alone about to move in with someone and therefore probably having sex. As a result, I haven't until this very moment thought about what this must feel like for Sue. If she makes my dad happy, I want her to feel comfortable with me.

"Sue, I want my dad to be happy. I'm sure he wants that for me, too. If being with you and living with you makes him happy, I'm all for it. I want my dad to have what I have with Edward. I don't think I understood what true happiness from a relationship was like until I met Edward. I want my dad to get to know him, and trust him like I do. Maybe you can help me with that."

"I'll do my best, Bella. By the way, Edward is gorgeous. Is he a model or something?"

"Or something," I smirk at her. "Speaking of Edward, I should go rescue him. He's probably freaking out being alone with my dad."


	93. Chapter 93

My childhood home is similar to Ben's and Angela's Port Angeles house in that it's old and creaky, and sound travels. As Sue and I descend the stairs, I overhear the conversation my dad and Edward are having on the porch. They sound like they're sitting on the rockers.

"Amen to that," my dad says. I hear a clink of bottles.

"Edward, I can give you my blessing, but it's not mine that you need. Bella's always made up her own mind." Did Edward ask if my dad is OK with us sleeping in the same room?! I thought Sue had that problem solved for us.

"Thank you, Sir. I wouldn't have it any other way. She's everything to me."

Wow, I'm impressed. Edward's really laying it on thick, and it seems to have worked. Yah! No need to broach that subject with Charlie now. Edward and I can just assume the sleeping arrangements are staying. Besides, if my dad _does_ bring it up, I can ask him outright about his sleeping arrangements with Sue.

I lean my head out the door. "You guys need anything? Another beer or anything?"

"Thanks sweetheart. I'm good," Edward says with a smile at me. My dad looks at Edward, then shakes his head a little.

"I'm good too, Bella. Why don't you and Sue come out here and join us."

When we're both leaning against the porch railing facing Edward and my dad, Sue looks at all of us and blurts out, "Charlie and I are moving in together."

My dad's eyes go wide. I can tell he was trying to think of a way to ease into to this conversation, and now he's panicking. I'm tempted to let him squirm, since he didn't tell me himself about Sue, but that would just be cruel. "Dad, I think it's great. Sue, welcome to the family." She grins widely, then reaches across to grab my dad's hand.

"I love him, Bella. Your dad's a good man."

"All right then," my dad announces. "Edward, I think we need to inject some testosterone into this weekend. How about you and I go fishing tomorrow morning. Do you fish?"

"Um, I've been fishing. I'm not very good at it, though."

"No need to be good. Just quiet."

"That sounds like a Confucius saying, dad," I laugh at him.

I make my dad one of his favorites that I used to cook for him when I was in high school. It's nothing special - just a fish chowder that my gran taught me to make. For my dad, it's comfort food. Edward raves about it too, and Sue asks me to write out the ingredients and recipe. I tell her I'll do my best, since it's one of those dishes I make without measuring anything.

Over dinner, Edward and my dad make plans for an early morning fishing trip. Sue mentions that Leah is in town and asks if I'd like to join them at the new nail salon while the guys are fishing. The salon is run by a family that also owns a new Vietnamese restaurant, and they keep both open seven days a week. Wow, Forks is becoming so gentrified, even if it is at the expense of a family that can't possibly be getting enough sleep. I reluctantly agree, happy to spend more time getting to know Sue but not as thrilled to see Leah again.

"What's Seth up to these days?" I ask Sue.

"Oh Bella, I'm so proud of him. He finished his undergrad last Spring at Seattle University and got accepted immediately into their law program."

"Wow, I didn't realize he's in Seattle. Edward went to law school in Chicago. Maybe we should connect with Seth sometime and hear how he's doing."

"What kind of law interests him?" Edward asks.

"He's not sure yet. Seth mentioned family law, but I think he's keeping an open mind."

"That's a tough field," Edward says. "I bet he's very good with people."

"Oh, he is," I tell Edward. "Seth is a sweetie. He was a great kid, Sue. Sounds like he's turned into a nice guy as an adult, too."

She beams at me and I can tell she's very proud of her youngest son.

"So Leah is your daughter?" Edward asks, since he wasn't tracking our nail salon conversation perfectly.

"Yes. She and Bella hung around a little when they both lived in Forks. Leah lives in Portland now. She's a police officer, like Charlie."

"Really?!" That's a surprise. Last I heard Leah wanted to become a wife and mother. She didn't seem to have much ambition for a career.

"I think it's no secret that Leah was a daddy's girl. After Harry died, she was a little lost. For awhile, she was interested in becoming an EMT, but the training didn't suit her. I think listening to Charlie talk is what gave her the idea to become a cop. Once she got into a program, she became very focused. She's doing well for herself now."

Maybe Leah's changed. I need to keep an open mind about tomorrow, and try to engage with Leah positively. For my dad's sake, if nothing else. Who knows, maybe we'll be spending holidays together.

"Hey dad, I wanted to talk with you about Christmas."

"I'm glad you brought that up, honey. I wanted to talk with you about that, too. Would you be opposed to spending it with your mom this year? Sue and I are thinking about taking a cruise."

"Oh, really? No, that's OK. Wow, a cruise, huh?"

"We don't have to go if you were set on coming to Forks, Bella," Sue assures me.

"No, no that's not it. Actually, I was going to ask my dad if he wanted to come to Seattle for Christmas. Edward's invited us to spend it with his family. But, um, I totally get that you two would want to spend Christmas together. It's OK, really. When do you think you'll be back?"

"We haven't booked it yet, but I was looking at a cruise through the Eastern Caribbean that departs out of Miami. It's a seven-day excursion. We'd get back a couple of days before New Years."

"Oh, hey maybe you could spend New Years Eve and Day with us in Seattle," I suggest. If you're flying in and out of Seattle, it could work out perfectly."

"I like that plan, Bella. Seth wants to stay in the city this year, and Leah was talking about seeing her little brother over the holidays. Maybe we could all meet up in Seattle for New Years Eve."

This is sounding like a great plan. It might be a little strange to spend a holiday with Seth and Leah, but I get the feeling that our lives will start becoming more and more entwined. Doing something together in Seattle, where we'll have only interacted as adults, seems like a great way to start our extended family traditions.

My cell phone rings while we're still sitting at the dinner table but have finished eating. I get up to grab my purse and see who could be calling me on a Saturday night. It's not a number I recognize.

"Hello?"

"May I speak with Isabella Swan, please?"

"Speaking"

"Bella, hello. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday evening. This is Eric Yorkie. I wanted to discuss a potential opening with you at Alki Elementary." Oh, wow. Principal Yorkie leads one of the two schools I've done substitute teaching for over the past couple of years. I don't know him well, but he's always been very kind and supportive of me.

Last year, he mentioned he'd invite me to interview if they had an opening. "I know it's an odd time to ask given we just started our school year, but I'm calling to see if you would consider applying for a full-time teaching position at Alki. I received news this weekend that one of my fourth-grade teachers will need to leave in October for personal reasons. I'm trying to fill the position quickly, hence my call on a Saturday.

"I'd love to discuss that, Dr. Yorkie." I did substitute teaching at Alki several times last year, the longest for three weeks while a third-grade teacher was on medical leave. Carlisle was phenomenal to let me have the time off.

"Please, call me Eric. I encourage an informal atmosphere with the staff at Alki. Can you come in on Monday for an interview, Bella?"

Wow, that's fast. And Carlisle and Edward are scrambling to make up for the loss of Lauren. "I need to make arrangements. Can I get back to you on that?"

He asks me to call him over the weekend if I can free my schedule Monday for an interview. I'm supposed to work in the office that day, not handle a tour. It's not as challenging to take office work time off, but I don't know if Carlisle is already counting on me being available to fill in for a tour as they juggle schedules.

I hang up and jump up and down with a big grin on my face. Edward's face matches my own. He heard my side of the conversation and can guess what it's about. "Take the time, Bella. We'll figure it out. Call him back and take the interview."

"What's that all about, Bella?" my dad asks.

"Well, maybe nothing. There's a school I did substitute teaching at last year that has a job opening for a fourth grade teacher. One of their teachers has to leave suddenly."

"You would quit being a tour guide?" Sue asks.

"In a heart beat. I love teaching, Sue. I'd like to get back to it. I love my current work, too, but this is what I trained for. Oh god, I feel like I'm jinxing it by talking about it. OK, don't ask me any more questions. I might not get it. You have to realize I might not get this job. Dad, don't ask me about it. I will _tell_ you if this goes anywhere. OK?"

"Bella, you'll be great," Edward tells me. "Have confidence, sweetheart. You're amazing - dedicated, personable, passionate about teaching, and fun. There's no doubt in my mind that you're an incredible teacher."

I lean down and kiss him on the lips. We grin at each other but break away when my dad clears his throat uncomfortably. "Oh, get used to it dad. I promise not to tease you when you kiss Sue."

Edward looks at my dad with a smile and shrug of his shoulders, then pulls me by the waist onto his lap and hugs me tightly. "You'll amaze them, Wonder Woman," he whispers in my ear.

* * *

**A/N** - Oops. I have discovered a pretty embarrassing mistake in this fic. I'm not going to go back and fix it because no one seemed to notice and that would take too much retooling of already posted chapters. I'll disclose what my error is at the very end. However, if you think you know what my error is or like solving puzzles like this, put your answer in a signed review and if you get it right, I will send you an outtake when this fic is finished. The outtake is planned but not yet written - it involves a scene with Esme, Rose, Bella and Allie.


	94. Chapter 94

Messing around at Angela's place while she's asleep on the opposite side of the house is one thing. Getting frisky in my bed when my dad's just across the hall is another. Edward sets the alarm on his phone for 6:00 am, and when he wakes he hushes me back to sleep and kisses my lips before slipping out the door with my dad. I wake at 8:00 am, take a long shower, dress, and make myself a simple breakfast of cereal and coffee. I'm taking my new car to meet Sue and Leah at the nail salon, on the corner of Bogachiel and Forks Ave.

The salon opens at 10:00 am. I'm early, so I sit in my car getting familiar with its features. My dad left Gran's St. Christopher medal in the glove box. I pull it out and turn it over, thinking of Gran and how she also kept various religious items in her house. She would have liked Edward. He's very polite, something Gran always appreciated. "I miss you, Gran," I tell her as I put the medal back in the glove box. Sue and Leah pull up in the space behind me at 10:05, so I step out and greet them on the street.

Leah and Sue catch up while we sit in massage chairs soaking our feet. There are two nail techs working, but we're the only ones in the shop this early. The tech tells me that it gets busy at noon, when the church crowd lets out. I'm reminded of my Gran again, and vow to stop by her grave before we leave town.

"Bella, my mom said you've started seeing someone." I'm startled out of my thoughts by Leah's comment.

"I have. His name is Edward. His family owns the tour company I work for, and he's in process of taking it over from his dad."

"So is it awkward working together?"

"No. Not really. We keep our work and personal lives separate. How about you, Leah? Are you seeing anyone right now?"

"Well, I was dating Jo for a few months. Jo works for the force, too. We're kind of taking a break at the moment."

"Do you interact much at work? Is he in the same department?"

"Um, Jo is short for Joanna. Yes, she's in the same department."

"Leah, you didn't tell me you were in a relationship with a woman!" Sue says surprised. "Wow, this is a lot to take in."

"Why is that, mom? I didn't want to spring it on you. I just wasn't sure how to mention it. One of the reasons Jo and I are on a break is because she wants me to be open about our relationship. I'm trying to do that, but it's not an easy announcement."

"Leah, I'll love you no matter what. I'm sorry I said it was a lot to take in. I just, I mean, I always assumed you'd get married and have kids."

"I might still do that, mom. There are lots of ways to have kids, and even marriage isn't out of the question. Anyway, Jo is special to me. But I'm not yet sure if she's 'The One.' I've dated men before, in fact more men than women. I think it comes down to being in love with an individual, and for me it doesn't matter if that person is male or female."

I sit through this somewhat awkward exchange quietly, feeling a little guilty that I asked Leah the question that triggered her coming out with her mom. Leah is sitting next to me, and when Sue is answering questions about her pedicure, Leah leans over and talks softly just to me. "Bella, I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable."

"No, Leah it's OK. It's fine, really." I don't know what to say. The only awkwardness is being there with Sue, and feeling like I'm intruding on what should be a private mother-daughter conversation. I hope Leah doesn't think my silence reflects judgment.

"It was easier to tell my mom that way. Thanks for bringing it up."

We end up having a where-are-they-now conversation, though neither of us mention Jake. Leah turns out to be a lot more fun than I thought she'd be. She was always moody when we were teenagers. Being a police officer, or just getting older and having life experiences outside of Forks, seems to have mellowed her. She's got a cheerfulness to her personality that I never noticed before.

On the street before hugging them both goodbye, I suggest that we can meet for New Years in Seattle. I already know that Sue likes the idea, and Leah warms to it, as well.

Edward and my dad are home from fishing when I arrive back from my nail treatments. There's a stack of fish in newspaper on the countertop. It must have been a successful excursion. "Wow, who caught all of these?" I ask.

"Edward did. Bella, that boy has the magic touch. My catches were all below size and I had to throw them back. Edward came home with a month's worth of fish. You can take some back in that cooler of yours."

"No, dad, it's OK. The cooler is meant to go with the rest of the camping supplies for the truck. And anyway, I don't clean and gut fish and those still need to be finished. We need to pack our stuff in the car and hit the road. It's at least a five-hour drive home."

Once we're packed, I give my dad a big hug and assure him that I'll call to arrange our holiday plans. He says he's going to book the cruise and flights tonight. I ask when he's planning to move in with Sue, and where they'll live. They haven't decided, but are leaning towards my dad's house and going about it gradually, slowly moving items from one house to the other. There's a small third bedroom on the second floor that we've never used for anything but storage. My dad mentions they could clean that out and have it available for Seth or Leah if they come to visit, so my room can stay my room. I tell him it's sweet that he's keeping my room for me, but that he should feel free to redecorate however he sees fit.

Edward and I stop at the cemetary on the way out of town and visit my Gran's grave. She's next to my grandfather, who died before I was born. I hold Edward's hand and talk to my Gran, telling her what I've been up to and about Edward. "I would have liked to have met her, Bella," Edward tells me with a squeeze of my hand. "I bet there's a lot of her in you."

We're quiet for much of the trip home. I'm not melancholy - just reflective. I silently ask my Gran to help me tomorrow on my interview and run through my preparations in my head. Eventually I fall asleep, because when I wake we're on the ferry ride home. The car is empty, but a moment later Edward settles into the driver's seat. "Hi, sleepy head. I didn't want to wake you, but I needed to stretch my legs. Almost home." He leans down to kiss me and I let out a large yawn, not fully awake from my nap. Edward laughs at my inappropriate yawn, kissing the side of my cheek instead of my wide-open lips.

"Hey, would you like to sleep at your place tonight?" he asks me. "I know you have to prep for your interview, and maybe iron your interview clothes."

"Yes, but can you stay with me? You won't bother me. I'm not ready to part from you yet. And anyway, I need you to give me a pep talk before I head off for my interview."

"OK. Just promise to tell me if I distract you."

Edward is always a distraction for me, but I want him to stay with me so I wisely keep that to myself.


	95. Chapter 95

I wake to a tingling sensation on my toes, and a hand on my hip slid up my leg underneath my sleep shorts. "Mmm," I squirm. "That feels nice. What time is it?"

Edward's thumb rubs gently over my hip bone. He kisses a toe from his spot at the bottom of the bed, then moves up until his shoulders are between my knees. "I like your painted toes. The little flower on your big toe is cute. It's 7:30 am. What time do you need to leave for your interview?" His fingers inside my sleep shorts slide over my pubic hair and down to my lips. I spread my legs to give him more room.

"It's at 10. I want to be a little early, but I don't have to leave here until 9:35. The school is close and since I have my car now, it's easier."

Edward pulls his hand out and slides my shorts off. The action requires him to get up on his knees, and I notice his own boxers are off and he's fully erect.

"Good morning, Edward," I smirk at him. "Have something there you want to share with me?"

"Well, the way I look at it, being freshly fucked is a stress reducer. You can't over think an interview, Bella. I'm going to give you something else to think about. At least right now. Don't think about this _during_ your interview - that would be inappropriate," he smirks at me.

"I like the freshly fucked state of being. I like being in the state of fucking, too."

Edward sits back on his heels and runs his fingers through my folds. "You have a beautiful pussy, Bella." He leans down to kiss it, then sits up again, pumping two fingers inside while spreading my lips with his other hand. "I love how your knees shake when I do this," he says as he leans down again and sucks my clitorus into this mouth.

"Fuck, that feels good, Edward," and I can indeed feel both knees shake. My hips rise off the mattress, but Edward uses his forearm to push them back down.

"Take your t-shirt off, Bella." I do as he asks, then rest on my forearms to watch him. The hand that had been pulling my lips apart pivots on his elbow and slides up my torso to my breast. He cups it firmly, his thumb flicking over my nipple. Edward sits up again, but keeps his fingers pumping inside me and his hand on my breast. "God, you're beautiful. I like being able to see you like this."

He pulls his hands away and grabs my ass, leans forward to slide his dick inside me, then sits back on his heels again and pulls my ass up his thighs in the process. He's not as deep this way, but it still feels amazing. I'm still on my forearms, watching Edward move in and out of me. I miss his hands on my body, so I move one of my own to cup my breast, flicking over my nipple like Edward was doing.

"Oh god, that's so beautiful," he groans out looking between my hand and where we're joined. He's thrusting slowly and I know that Edward can last a long time in this position. I like the feeling of fullness, but I won't come like this. I lay back on the bed, getting both my hands free again. I reach down to feel where we're joined, touching around Edward's cock with my finger while he slides in and out. "You like that, sweetheart, feeling me go in and out of you? It's a fucking _amazing _feeling on my cock."

I move my hand back to start rubbing my clit and Edward keeps his eyes focused on my actions. He's still thrusting slowly. Edward grips my ass tightly with both hands, then rises up on his knees, causing my back to arch sharply. My knees bend and I drop my toes to the mattress for leverage, keeping my fingers on my clit. "Use the vibrator, Bella. Reach your hand into your nightstand and use the vibrator on your clit. I'm going to fuck you hard now."

It's an awkward reach, but Edward stills and I stretch to fish the device out of my drawer. Once it's in my hand, I flick it on low and slide it down my stomach to my clit. "Here we go, Bella. Hard and fast. Ready?"

I nod my head and he starts pushing hard into me, all the way to the hilt with each thrust. I spread my legs as wide as I can, then push down hard on my clit with the vibrator. My ass is arched a good two feet off the bed, and my toes barely have purchase on the mattress. Edward's arms are doing most of the work in this position. When I convulse around his cock, we both groan and Edward thrusts faster, soon groaning out his own climax. His sits back on his haunches and his arms falter a little on my backside, causing my back to slide to the mattress and Edward's cock to slide out of my pussy. He's panting hard from the workout.

"_You_ look freshly fucked, Edward."

"I'm not sure that's a term that works for the guy," he smirks at me. "But I do feel fucking refreshed."

I sit up on my knees and kiss him sweetly on the lips. There's come dripping down my legs but I don't really care this morning. I use the sheet to wipe us both. "We'll have to wash these tonight."

"Ah, domestic chores. I love doing that with you. Let's wash them at my place. I want to make love to you while you sit on the washer. Doing that while we're washing our sex off your sheets only seems appropriate."

"We just had sex and you're already thinking about the next time we have sex?" I ask.

"I think about sex with you all the time. I thought we established that. And anyway, who said that will be the _next_ time we have sex?"

"What do you think about?" I goad him.

"This freckle. Running my tongue over this freckle," he says while he demonstrates running his tongue over a freckle just to the side of my right nipple. He sucks my nipple into his mouth.

"Mmmm. What else?" I ask as I arch my chest into his mouth.

His hand wraps around my backside. "Your amazing ass. Round, firm, perfect. Grabbing your ass and pushing you against my door at the office. Dropping to my knees and pulling down your pants to lick your pussy."

"You would do that at the office?" I ask somewhat shocked.

"I would do you almost anywhere, Bella."

"What else do you think about?" I like this game.

"You doing me. Your mouth on my cock, you kneeling under my desk." I wrap my hand around his semi erect cock, squeezing him and teasing out a full erection. "Us on my rooftop. You with your hands on the railing and me fucking you from behind as we watch the sunset. Doing it again in front of a mirror. That time in my old bedroom was fun. Made me think of other ways we could add mirrors."

"Wow, you've thought a lot about this."

"You have no idea. What about you, what do you think about?" he asks with a groan as I stroke and squeeze his fully erect cock. Edward brings a hand down to my pussy, sliding his fingers around my clit and through my lips.

"Well, this is a fantasy. Getting each other off like this. Maybe watching you masturbate. Umm, phone sex?"

"You would have phone sex with me?"

"If the circumstance called for it. Like, if we couldn't be with each other."

"You want to watch me masturbate?"

"Yes. Besides, it would help with the visuals during phone sex."

"What else?" We're still playing with each other's genitals. Edward's getting me very worked up.

"I want to try tittie fucking again."

"What?! No way. I'm not doing that to you again."

"Edward, you enjoyed it."

"Yeah, but you got hurt. I don't like to cause pain, Bella."

"OK, OK. But you want to have anal sex. That causes pain - at least that's what I hear."

"Not always. It's very pleasurable. You have to work up to it. Kind of like when a woman first has sex."

"OK, well that's not one of my fantasies."

"I know. So what else?"

"I don't know. It's not like I have this list I'm checking off. I just like being adventurous with you," I say with a firm stroke of my hand on his cock. "I like making you feel good. I liked when you took control of my body when we were in Port Angeles. Not all the time, but sometimes that's nice. I like when you fuck me hard, when you take pleasure for yourself. You're always a very giving lover, Edward - I love that part of you, too."

"I can do that. What about you. Would you ever just take for yourself? Tell me to do things, not ask. Have it be for you, not for both of us?"

"I don't know. I might feel wierd about that. I could try, I guess, if you wanted me to."

"OK, let's try. But not right now. Can I make love to you again?"

"Yes, I thought that was a foregone conclusion," I smirk at him as I spread my legs wide and he pumps his fingers in again, rubbing his thumb against my clit.

"I have a finger vibe in my bag. We didn't use it on the trip, but I want to try it with you. OK?" I nod my head and he hops off the bed to grab the vibe from his bag. It's a little silicone sleeve that he slides onto his right thumb. When Edward returns to the bed, he lays down and has me come on top of him. I sink down over his erection, pause, and hum at the feeling of fullness.

"Bella, tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking that you fill me up. I like having you inside. You're large, Edward, and if I lean a little like this, the tip of your cock rests against my g-spot. Oh, that feels really good."

"What does it feel like when I do this?" His hands rest on my hips, and he brings his unsheathed thumb around to rub where we're joined, pushing against my clit.

"It tingles, in a good way. I don't know how to describe it." I start to move on top of him, sliding up and down slowly and finishing each downward thrust with a grind.

"How about this?" Edward starts the vibration on his thumb, then brings it near my clit.

"Mmm, that feels _really _good. I can feel the vibration everywhere. I want to ride you hard now, Edward. I want your cock to hit me against that spot. When I bounce hard it pushes against it." I do as I tell him, and Edward brings his thumb in direct contact with my clit. It doesn't take long for me to fall apart, the combination of stimulation on my clit and at my g-spot bringing on a powerful orgasm.

Edward flips me around so I'm on my back, then starts thrusting wildly into me. I wrap my legs around his hips and his right arm snakes back to my thigh to hold it in place and give him leverage. He's taking from me, and I love this. He's panting and sweaty, and I can tell he'll come soon. "Fuck - fuck - fuck" he groans through several thrusts. Edward pushes his vibrating thumb between us, settling it near my clit again. "Fuck, Bella. Come again. I want to feel you come on my cock again. Can you do that, sweetheart?"

Oh this is sweet torture. I thrust back against him, trying to get him there. I want Edward to have a powerful release. He's given me so many of those. My hand grabs his ass and I squeeze it tightly against me, which causes his thumb to move and land squarely on my clit. "Oh shit," I shout. "Fuck Edward, let go. Just let go." I rasp through his thrusts, my thrusts, my climax, and his guttural scream."

When Edward finishes, he collapses on top of me, my legs still wrapped around him. "Holy fucking shit, that was intense," he says into my neck. I urge him to the side so he's not crushing me, then fall back against the pillow.

"I need a nap. I'm so spent," I tell the air.

"Wake up, Bella. We need to get you in the shower and fed." He leans over me and kisses my lips sweetly. "I think my mission here is finished. You do look freshly fucked, Wonder Woman - there on the pillow with your Mona Lisa smile. Just like on the cake."

* * *

**A/N - **Please tell me what you think.


	96. Chapter 96

Monday night Edward takes me to a restaurant in downtown Seattle in celebration of what I think was a successful interview. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I left with the impression that Dr. Yorkie was trying to sell _me _on the school. He said they have two more interviews this week but that his mind already is nearly made up, and that he'll call me by Friday with an update.

We're sitting at a bar counter against the front window, sipping drinks until our table is ready. This spot is good for people watching, particularly as there is a lively club across the street. It's early, but the club seems to be a popular after-work venue. "Oh my god, that's Lauren!"

Edward's eyes focus on what I'm looking at. "I know that woman," he tells me. Lauren is with a beautiful, tall woman with long, straight-brown hair. They're standing in line for the club. The tall woman grabs Lauren's face and pulls her in for a passionate kiss. "Well that explains things," Edward says sarcastically.

"What? What do you mean?"

"That's Volturi's daughter, Heidi. She's responsible for Sales at Puget Sound Excursions." Marcus Volturi owns PSE. He and Carlisle have a professional friendship, but I sense that Edward is not a fan. "Heidi is a piece of work. We've run into each other over the years. She and Emmett had a thing for a while."

Really?! "Wow, so what happened there?"

"Nothing, really. Emmett was pretty wild before he met Rose - what you and Allie would probably call a man-whore. He and Heidi used to hook up. Emmett's hinted that Heidi organized threesomes. I've always tried to keep my distance from her. She gets pretty handsy. It's annoying."

Hmm, as if I needed another reason to hate the bitch. I try not to let my jealousy show - Heidi's beautiful, but Edward wants _me_. "Wow. So, now that you know this about Lauren, do you want to do anything about it?"

"What can I do, Bella? I don't care if she's in a relationship or whatever it is with Heidi. I can't prove she did anything inappropriate, even if the circumstantial evidence makes it seem obvious. Lauren will eventually learn that Volturi's company is not always ethical - maybe she knows that already because she was part of that unethical behavior. If that's what Lauren appreciates, I don't want her working for us anyway and it's good she left."

"So you're really OK just letting it go?"

"We've made our reputation on quality of service, and that's not something a person can steal from a company. Hell, our price book is published on the web site. Individual corporate proposals might have unique offerings and pricing, but it's not rocket science to figure out our approach. If PSE had wanted to duplicate that, they could have done it before Lauren. The Microsoft bid notwithstanding, she can't hurt us anymore."

Our table is ready, so we agree to forget about Lauren and Heidi and Puget Sound Excursions. Over dinner, Edward tells me their plans for back-filling guides. Sam mentioned to Carlisle that he's interested in being a back-up guide, keeping his bus-driver position but filling in as a guide when they need someone. I tell Edward that Sam will be terrific as a guide, and share my stories about when he's already played more than the driver role. Mike gave being a tour guide a try on Saturday. Carlisle has always trained the guides, and apparently he was a little shocked by Mike's banter with the guests. They've both agreed that Mike's going to be more suited for certain custom tours. We occasionally get tours for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Mike would be perfect for those, and Edward's thinking about how to market those tours more successfully. They're actually a lot of fun.

"So who will train the guides if Carlisle retires?" I ask Edward.

"You could do it."

"Thank you, but if everything works out you'll have to replace me, too."

"Good point," he smirks at me. "I'm confident, Bella. I've already been thinking about how we'll cover your shifts. You, however, are irreplaceable." He leans in for a kiss and I taste his dessert on his lips.

"Yum," I say as I dig into his chocolate mousse with my spoon.

"You want to switch? I'm liking the taste of your blueberry cobbler," Edward says while he takes a scoop of my dessert.

"So, my other thought is Jess could train the guides. I'm having her train me a week from Saturday. I don't think I could handle my dad doing it."

"Really! You want to be a guide?!"

"Don't look so shocked. I think it makes sense for me to know how to give tours - in case I have to fill in, or even just to be able to sell our services and manage the guides better. My dad suggested it a while ago. I've been putting it off."

"I could train you, Edward."

"Sweetheart, you school me every day. But I don't think I could concentrate if you trained me. As it is, I have a fantasy of doing you on the bus."

"Oh my god, not this again," I laugh at him. "Is no place sacred with you?"

"Hmm. My parent's house. That's now off-limits."

"Heh, yeah my dad's house, too," I smirk.

"Oh, that's not off-limits. I fully intend to christen your high school bedroom at some point. We just need to get Charlie out of the house."

* * *

**A/N** - So, were you surprised by Lauren's motivation? It was fun reading some of the guesses in your earlier reviews.


	97. Chapter 97

Thursday afternoon I'm at the Space Needle during our city tour. We typically take 60 minutes for this stop, inclusive of the 10-minute overview I give before guests wander around the 360-degree-view observation deck on their own, and the 10 minutes it takes to get everyone from the bus to the top of the needle and vice versa. I'm sitting inside, staring off towards Lake Union, taking a moment to myself while the guests explore.

Whenever I have a quiet moment, I can't help myself from obsessing about the interview on Monday. I analyze every word spoken, whether I came across as arrogant or confident, if I dressed appropriately, and how I felt at the end of the day. My experience in this interview was so different from the interviews I had earlier in my career. Then, I had the feeling the school had already made up its mind and I was just a formality so they could demonstrate they chose from a field of candidates. Is that what happened Monday? Dr. Yorkie said his mind was nearly made up. Was that code for saying he had to interview me so he could offer the job to the person he _really_ wanted?

During my interviews, they seemed to really like that I have experience besides teaching. Eric said they're trying to attract teachers with industry experience in addition to teaching qualifications, and pointed out a few examples at the school. A fifth grade teacher, for instance, is a former Boeing engineer. I talked about how my tour guide experience would help me inject some fun into the fourth-grade Washington State geography and history unit, and gave an example of a lesson plan involving the kids developing an imaginary tour for out-of-town guests using photos and writing a script they present to the class.

I'm so anxious for tomorrow, when I was told to expect an update. My cell phone ring startles me from my thoughts. I don't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Bella, this is Eric Yorkie, from Alki Elementary." My stomach is instantly in knots.

"Yes, hello Dr. Yorkie."

"Eric, please. We've covered this before," he laughs.

"Right, sorry. Eric, how are you?"

"Is now a good time to talk?"

"I'm in the middle of a tour, but I have a few moments while the tour guests explore on their own. I'm actually talking to you on top of the Space Needle."

"Great day for it. Maybe you can look over the Sound at West Seattle and see your new elementary school employer. That is, if you'll accept?"

"Excuse me?"

"Bella, I'm offering you the job. Are you interested?" I grin so wide that people start to stare.

"I am, yes. I definitely am." I say in as controlled a voice as possible.

"Excellent. You'll be a great addition to our faculty. Let me explain the offer package, which aligns to the union-negotiated salaries and benefits."

I call Edward as soon as I hang up with Eric. "I got the job," I shriek into the phone. "Edward, they offered me the job! I have to call them tomorrow to work out a start date."

"Oh, sweetheart, that's fantastic. We need to celebrate. You're off tomorrow. We're going out tonight. Actually, let's see if Jasper and Allie are available - we can host something at my place tonight."

"Oh, that sounds fun. But Allie isn't due back until late tonight. Could we do it tomorrow? She's supposed to have the weekend free. I don't know about Jasper, but I'm sure Allie will come regardless.

"Of course, Bella. But tonight, I'm celebrating with you whether you like it or not."

After work I head back to my place to freshen up. Edward had client visits today, so I didn't see him at the office when I returned from my tour. Since he gave me no specific instructions about celebrating, I decide to treat myself to a bubble bath. I text Edward that I'm home, then settle into a warm bath with Cosmo, Glamour, and Vogue - my guilty pleasure that I picked up at the store on my walk home.

Edward arrives at my place dressed in crisp black slacks, a button-down shirt, and a dress jacket. He looks incredible standing in my bathroom door, staring at me in the bath. "You look edible," I tell him.

"So do you. I'm tempted to stay in with you - to join you in the bath. Last time we did that I got a key to your apartment. It's a very good memory," he smirks at me.

"Yes, for me as well. But I'm pruny now. Time to get out." I stand from the tub and Edward assists in drying me off with the towel, but I shoo him away so I can use the toilet in privacy. "I'll meet you in the living room. Here, you can amuse yourself with these magazines while I wait."

I put on a simple but elegant black dress with three-quarter sleeves and a beaded neckline. "Will we be walking anywhere tonight?" I call down the hall.

"I plan to drive, and they have valet. I have 8:00 pm reservations at Palisades. Did you want to go for a walk tonight? There's a trail near the marina. That might be nice."

I put on my 3-inch shiny black heels, and given that I rarely wear anything but flats, I know my feet will be killing me by the end of the night if we do any walking. "I'll bring flats in case we go for a stroll," I tell him as I step into my living room. "So, will this outfit do?"

"Bella, you look beautiful and elegant. Wow, we should get dressed up more often." I have my hair back in a single braid, with a beaded silver clip holding the ends in place. I've even put on a little make-up.

"Thank you. You're very dapper tonight, yourself."

Edward takes my hand and leads me to the couch. "Sit down for a minute. I have something for you." He pulls my wrist towards him and takes off my charm bracelet, then turns away for a moment and brings it back to my wrist. Edward kisses my pulse point before putting the bracelet back on my wrist. "Congratulations, Miss Bella. I'm so proud of you and happy _for_ you that you can pursue your passion again. I love you, sweetheart."

My bracelet contains a new charm of an apple sitting on two books - a teacher symbol. "Thank you," I tell him with a lump in my throat and a hug around his neck. "Thank you, Edward. I love you, too."

Edward slides down on his knee in front of me and takes my face in his hands. He kisses me sweetly while his fingers run down my shoulders to my arms and finally my hands. We've done this before, Edward in front of me on the floor - must be something about our heights. Usually, this position turns passionate.

"Bella, I know it's Thursday, maybe a not-so-special, middle-of-the week day, but I think Thursdays are always filled with hope for the weekend ahead, even if the day itself tends not to be very exciting. Except today is special, because you got your dream job. And, well, maybe for another reason. At least I hope so."

I squeeze his hands since he seems a little nervous about something. "Edward, what do you mean?"

"Sweetheart, we love each other. I asked your dad for his permission and he told me I had to get yours, but he gave me his blessing. Maybe his head wasn't in the game because he'd just met me and I was crazy to ask him so soon, without a lead in or anything, and if it were my daughter I'd have never said yes to me, but I know he was nervous about Sue and maybe he was thinking about us being in the same bedroom, I don't know. But Bella, he said he approved. And when we were fishing, he seemed to like that I was quiet, and that I could fish - who knew I could fish?! So, I don't think he regretted telling me that he approved, even if he was distracted when he said it. And I wanted to meet your mom first, too, but I can't wait. Thanksgiving is too far away. Today's a Thursday, like Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday. And I thought we should make Thursday special, I mean, today - we should make today special - doubly special, really, because it's already special since you got offered the teaching position. But, you know, special times two. We can celebrate two good things tonight. Well, two great things. One thing that's really, really wonderful, I think. If you want, I mean if you think it's not too soon, and if you agree. We've talked about spending our lives together, having kids together. I want to make that official, Bella. You're my everything - my incredibly smart and kind and loving and adventurous and wonderful, _wonderful _Wonder Woman. And, if you need some time, we could wait on the date. You know, if that's what you want, or need, or whatever."

Towards the end of this, I'm grinning like a fool in part because I know what's coming but also because I love, love, _love _that smooth-talking Edward, who is always so suave and confident, is nervous and rambling. "Shhh. Edward, do you have a question for me?"

"I do, yes," he says with a deep breath and a smile as he pulls a ring out of his pocket. "Bella Swan, will you marry me?"

* * *

**A/N -** Superman stumbles. Thursday?! A proposal because its Thursday? Really, Edward.

**A/N Two **- I think this is the point when I need to warn you we're getting near the end. There are only few more chapters left, and they start to get very full and a little more complicated to follow, despite my umpteen iterations. Hmm - bare with me on that please.


	98. Chapter 98

The weeks following Edward's proposal fly past at lightening speed. One unexpected change: my mom and Edward have become texting and phone call friends. She talks to him more than she talks to me. Her rationale is she's had 27 years to get to know me, her daughter, and she'll have less than a year to get to know Edward before he becomes her son. "Son-in-law, mom," I tell her. She tells me it's the same difference. I'm not jealous of Edward, but I do feel like I've been replaced as the favorite child.

Edward shares their conversations with me, but I've asked him to keep some of it to himself. He doesn't have the same hang-up about hearing my mom talk about her sex life, or sex in general. Edward has promised he doesn't share _our _sex life with her, and thinks my mom is charming. We're still planning to see them in Florida at Thanksgiving, and Phil and my mom are coming to Seattle for New Year's. She and my dad have been talking more, still mainly about me, but both assure me they are very civil towards one another. Friendly even. My mom's happy for my dad. She and Sue were friends when my mom lived in Forks, and she thinks they are a good match for one another. I find that odd. I suppose after a quarter century one's feelings change about the connections between old friends and ex-husbands, and it's no more odd than Sue and my dad becoming close after Harry's death.

When I told Edward I didn't need a long engagement, we started talking about wedding dates. I won't be able to take a long vacation for a honeymoon during the school year, but we don't want to wait until Summer to get married. We've decided to marry at the Space Needle on New Year's Eve. That required we settle everything - from the wedding to a short getaway Edward has planned - well in advance because places fill up during the holidays. Even our out-of-town guests must book hotels early, so we've already gotten out invitations and received back their replies. We've invited about 60 guests, keeping the invitation to just family, very close friends, a couple of people from my new school, and the staff of Seattle Adventures. Some people will be out of town that week, so our expected guest list is only 45.

Still, that's a large crowd for the Space Needle to accommodate on New Year's Eve. It took Carlisle pulling in a favor from the manager of the SkyCity Restaurant at the Needle to make that happen, and some finagling with the company that runs the Observation Deck and New Year's Eve Party, Seattle's largest celebration. We'll have appetizers and drinks on the Observation Deck starting at 7:00 pm, foregoing the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the ceremony. Our wedding will be at 9:00 pm, then we'll move upstairs to take over tables in the restaurant for a very late but leisurely dinner at 9:30. At midnight, we'll ring in the New Year with hundreds of others at the mass party in the banquet rooms. Tickets to the top of the Space Needle for the New Year's Eve Party are notoriously difficult to get - I am indebted to and in awe of Carlisle for getting more than 40 of them, plus a roped off space on the observation deck for our ceremony.

New Year's Eve falls on a Monday, and I'll have to return to work the following week when Winter Break ends. Edward is taking me on a short honeymoon, but he won't tell me where we're going. We'll leave Tuesday morning and be home by Sunday evening, and apparently no flights are involved. We're going to the snow, so I've gotten a new winter jacket, ski pants and boots, in case our trip involves playing in the snow. He's assured me we are not going anywhere I would take a tour group, not even near a tour stop. We also apparently won't need one of our cars to get there. The clues are driving me crazy. Meanwhile, he's promising a longer sun-and-beach honeymoon in Summer after school lets out. That's the busiest time at Seattle Adventures, but Carlisle has assured us he can handle things when Edward takes off for three weeks with me. Three weeks! I've never taken a three-week vacation. I'm not sure I'll know what to do with myself. Edward's answer is that I can do him, repeatedly, in all sorts of adventurous ways.

One adventure I never want to repeat is exhibitionism. About a week after I started at the school, I woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and had a panic attack, remembering what happened against the window in my bathroom and against the window of Edward's condo. In my dream, the man who saw us out front of Edward's condo was replaced by Principal Yorkie. The high school kids who didn't see us in my bathroom window but might have been able to if their attention hadn't been directed elsewhere were replaced by my fourth-grade students. Edward woke to my sobbing and was very sweet to me, assuring me I wasn't a bad person. If I were, he argued, then he was far worse as the instigator. That calmed my self-loathing because there's no way Edward is a bad person. We agreed, though, never to do that again.

It's 4:00 pm on October 31st. I've been in my Wonder Woman costume all day at school. Edward wants me to modify it for the party at Rose and Em's tonight, going bare-legged instead of wearing the blue leggings tucked into my costume's tall boots that I thought was more appropriate for school. It's cold, and I'll freeze. In retaliation, I make him wear the tights and fancy pants that go with his Superman outfit - he thought he'd get away with just the cape and shirt. Hah!

Carlisle and Esme are spending the night with Rose and Em to help clean up and contribute to hosting duties. Both Edward and I have to work tomorrow. Em and Rose always take off the next day, being so wiped out from hard partying. I asked Edward why they don't hold the party on the weekend before Halloween. He said they used to do that, but since living in the house they've added a kid-friendly element that Rose doesn't want to give up. They turn their backyard into a haunted maze using hay bales that Em trucks in from a nearby farm. The neighborhood kids look forward to trick-or-treating at the house, and collecting a huge load of candy from hiding places in the maze. Many of the adults who attend are parents to the kids, so there's a relatively tame period until about 9:30 pm when the kids and parents typically trickle back to their homes, and a wilder party when the adults who stay kick it up a notch.

Em and Edward don't know that Rose and I have been conspiring on a little revenge to defend our men. Rose, Allie, and I have been getting together most Sunday afternoons, sometimes including Esme. During one of those visits I shared what happened with Lauren, how she was so nasty to me when Edward and I went public, and what she did when she left Seattle Adventures. When I told them about seeing her kissing PSE's head of sales, Rose knew exactly who I was referring to. Heidi and Rose were acquaintances who ran in the same circle of friends. The day Rose met Em, Heidi and Rose were out with a big group of friends at a club in Seattle. They ran into Em at the bar and since Heidi knew Em from professional circles, she asked him to join them. Rose and Em hit it off right away, which Heidi didn't like at all. She inserted herself into Rose's conversation with Em and made it seem like Rose was already taken. Em backed off despite Rose's attempt to reset his impression. She had recently broken up with someone, a guy named Royce who sounds like an asshole - Heidi knew that Rose was not only free, but ready to move on.

What happened next sounds like something from a bad movie. Heidi hooked up with Em that night. Rose was furious with Heidi, who she knew as a player. In fact, Heidi had been hitting on someone else until she saw Rose and Em talking.

Two months later, Rose ran into Heidi and Em at a club in Seattle. They were sitting at the bar and Heidi had her hands all over Em. He wasn't exactly ignoring her, but he wasn't encouraging her actions either. When Rose came by to say hello, Em's attention zeroed in on Rose and Heidi took that as her cue to start more serious groping - not just Em, but Rose too. She kept rubbing Rose's upper arm and shoulder while she ran her other hand up and down Em's thigh, thumbing his crotch on each pass. Rose tried to politely excuse herself and walked back to the table she was sharing with a couple of friends, but Em shrugged off Heidi and ran after Rose. He asked if she wanted to get together some time. Rose was shocked and a little disgusted, since Heidi was so obviously there with Em that night. Being Rose, she spoke her mind, but Em assured her that wasn't the case. Heidi was just very handsy, he explained. She still didn't trust him, and when Heidi left the bar with Em and another woman that night, she was glad she pushed him away.

More than a month passed and Rose got a call from Em on her cell phone. One of Heidi's friends who ran in the same circles had given him the number. He said he wasn't seeing Heidi and that he couldn't stop thinking about Rose, and wanted to take her on a proper date. She agreed, because despite her two experiences with Em around Heidi, there was just something that clicked with Emmett. They started dating and it seemed that Em was indeed completely devoted to Rose.

Two weeks after they began seeing each other, immediately spending nearly every evening together, Heidi showed up at Em's downtown Seattle condo. She walked in with a female friend Rose had never seen, both wearing trench coats. Em told Heidi that he and Rose were busy, but she wouldn't hear it. She and her friend, Didi, sat on the couch while Em tried to wrap up the conversation and encourage them to be on their way. Instead, Didi took off her trench coat to reveal thigh-high stockings and nothing else. She stood, bent at the waist, and put her hands on the coffee table with her legs apart. Rose was shocked, Em was furious, and Heidi started fingering Didi in front of them while undoing her own trench coat. She encouraged Em and Rose to disrobe so they could all have a great time.

Rose started storming out of there, but Em chased after her, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his bedroom. He locked the door to keep Heidi out and got down on one knee, pleading with Rose to stay. He had no idea why Heidi was so obsessed with him, but this wasn't the first time she had showed up with Didi and he'd told her two months prior that he wasn't into it anymore. He couldn't stop thinking about Rose, and he didn't want random hookups anymore. Rose could see the sincerity in his eyes, and they spent the rest of their evening inside Emmett's locked bedroom, completely ignoring the odd scene in the living room. At one point Heidi pounded on Em's door. Rose was a little cagey about this part of the story, but it sounded like they were mid-orgasm when they yelled at Heidi to go the hell away. She and Didi finally got the message and stormed out of the condo, slamming the front door behind them.

Since then, Rose and Em have run into Heidi a few times. She always makes snide comments about getting her freak on with Emmett. She's also hinted that she wants to do both brothers at the same time, and also in Em's case, the brother and his wife. Rose says it's disturbing because Heidi is so clearly making the comments as a power play. She likes to dominate conversations, people, and business. Rose is certain that either Lauren and Heidi are similar, or that Heidi lured Lauren into her web to dominate over Seattle Adventures, and not because Lauren is special to her. I don't care if Lauren's been a pawn in Heidi's game - what she did is unforgivable, and she deserves to learn a lesson about ethical behavior in business.

So, we've got something planned for 10:00 pm tonight. Rose and I are teaming on our A/V and computer skills. Since Heidi doesn't know me, it's more believable if I and not Rose play the part assigned to me. Now I just need to keep Edward distracted enough so I can focus on being convincing.

* * *

**A/N - **Hmm, what could be planned?


	99. Chapter 99

The Halloween Party is so much fun. Edward and I help in the haunted maze. Our costumes aren't scary, but we swoop in as Super Heroes to save the kids from goblins and ghouls who try to steal their candy. It's silly and completely unbelievable, but the kids don't seem to care as they run shrieking and laughing out of the maze and to the next house for trick-or-treating. Em and Rose have the house in the middle of the block. When the kids finish the last house on their street, they come back with their parents to the party inside. I'm a little worried about the kids, but Rose assures me they will be gone by 9:30 pm. And she's right. At 8:45, they start trickling out and by 9:30 there's not a single child in the house; the adults have thinned out, too, as the parents have gone home with their children. I hope my own fourth-grade kids have gone home for the night in their neighborhoods. School tomorrow will be challenging enough with the kids strung out on candy hangovers, and me tired from this evening's activities.

Between 9:30 and 10:00 pm, a new wave of adults starts arriving for the party. It includes colleagues that the Cullen men have invited, as well as Rose's group of extended friends and acquaintances. Rose and Em throw the party that's the place to be on Halloween. Just as we've orchestrated, Heidi shows up with a group of friends, including Lauren. I wasn't sure if she'd still be hanging around with that crowd, or if she'd dare to show her face knowing that Carlisle and Edward would be at the party. Lauren has guts, I'll give her that. I keep my distance, and notice Lauren talking with some of our colleagues from Seattle Adventures. They're cordial but distant towards her. Heidi and a man who arrived with them are in the kitchen, away from Lauren, so I start conversation to get the ball rolling. Our plan is loose, and relies on some luck to pull off.

"Some view, huh?" I ask them.

"The view here is incredible," the man says with a Russian accent.

"Hi, I'm Bella. You are?"

"Demetri. Nice to meet you. This is Heidi."

"Oh, are you the Heidi with PSE?"

"I am. Have we met before, Bella?"

"Not exactly. I used to work at Seattle Adventures. Edward's mentioned you. Hey, do you guys want a tour of the house? I think Em and Rose have stopped giving them tonight, but I can show you around. If you think the view is incredible from this room, wait until you see the upstairs. They've got four bedrooms up there - all with amazing views to the water."

We ascend the back steps, out of view to most of the party goers. "Bella, you mentioned that you used to work at Seattle Adventures. What do you do now? Are you and Edward friends or something?" Heidi asks.

"Oh, I'm a teacher. And we're more than friends, if you know what I mean," I wink at her. "He's pretty into kink." It's amazing what being in costume does for one's ability to project a character. This is not like me at all, but my Wonder Woman outfit is giving me confidence to pull this off with swagger. We're walking down the hallway and I notice Demetri give Heidi a glance. "Edward said you're pretty adventurous. That's how your name came up in conversation. Is that true, Heidi?" I croon as I stop in the hallway and rub my hand over her upper arm.

"I've done my share of kink. What are you into?"

"Let's move this conversation out of the hallway. Anyway, I promised to show you the bedrooms. Check this one out."

Rose and I rigged up this bedroom with two cameras on tripods that are in plain sight. Curtains cover the windows, but I didn't come in here for the view. I don't think Heidi expects one, not one of the water, anyway. "I'm into filming. This is our guest room for the night, and these costumes are such a fucking turn-on. Have you seen Edward? He's delectable in his Superman costume."

"Yes, I did notice Edward tonight," Heidi says. "Demetri thought he had a nice package in that outfit."

"Heidi and Demetri, would you sit on the bed? If you're up for some fun, I want to get this started by interviewing you. I bet I can get Edward in here soon to complete the fun. What do you think?"

"Hell yes," Heidi tells me. Demetri doesn't say anything but doesn't complain when Heidi forces him to sit on the bed so she can sit on his lap, facing forward. His hands go to her hips, and I notice that she grinds her ass against him and spreads her legs on either side of his knees. "I've got at least one more in my party who would join this fun. Let's recruit her too."

"Later. Everyone has to be interviewed first. That's my kink, OK?"

"Whatever you need, babe," Demetri tells me. God this crowd is weird.

I turn on the cameras and start asking questions, but keep myself out of view from the lenses. "What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?"

"Too many to list, babe," Demetri says. Heidi smiles and turns her head around to capture his lips in a passionate kiss. I'm going to get sick if they start going at it before I'm done.

"No more of that," I say in a stern voice. "You can get it on after the interview is over. Heidi, Edward and I used to work together. Have you ever done anything kinky with someone you work with?"

"Fuck, yes. The office offers so _many_ possibilities. Plus those bitches are afraid of me, and that's a freaking turn-on."

"What do you mean, and which employees in particular."

"My department, for one. I've got three minions who work for me - two men and a woman. I'm indiscriminate Bella. I'd definitely do you, beautiful. There's also a hot blond tour guide who is into my kink - she's here tonight."

"How do the two of you know each other?" I ask Demetri and Heidi.

"I'm a client," Demetri says. "Puget Sound Excursions takes care of _all_ of my needs."

"You mean, you and Heidi have a thing?" I wasn't really expecting this. I'm curious to see where this goes.

"We fuck. But she's also good at scoring some ass for me and my guests, you know?" Demetri says with a squeeze of Heidi's ass before he puts his hand around her and under her skirt. Oh, wow! Sounds like PSE is running a brothel on the side.

"No touching there. Hands out Demetri. You're being a very bad boy. You'll be rewarded later if you're good now," I tell him firmly with my Wonder Woman confidence. I also think I have enough evidence and hope Rose shows up soon.

"Demetri, tell me more about the sexy times you've had with your guests on tours. Is that what you mean? That sounds kinky. Did Heidi arrange that for you. Shit Heidi, you're into some _serious _kink."

Demetri runs a local import/export business. They primarily facilitate export trade of Washington agricultural goods with Russia, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, and do some importing from Russia though he doesn't explain what they trade. The example tour he describes for me included Korean and Russian businessmen, and Heidi arranged prostitutes for the bus tour. They went to three different casinos, which involved spending a long time in the bus because the casinos are all on the edge of the metropolitan area. Apparently that time was made more enjoyable for the guests by blowjobs and various other sexual activities. I pretend to be turned on but in fact am disgusted. I'm shocked that this sleazy side of PSE has never leaked among the local tour industry. It's a relatively small world.

"Heidi, we're almost done. God, I'm so worked up. Edward's going to go crazy with this stuff. You'll love it, Heidi. Maybe we can experience that together, right?" I wink at her. She has no idea how crazy Edward will get. I'm starting to get a little nervous about exposing all this. I know he'll think I've endangered myself.

"What do you need to end this shit, Bella? Let's get to the good stuff." Heidi commands.

"OK, Heidi, I get it. You're anxious, hell so am I. But I want to hear from you. What do you get out of that - I mean sexually, or any other way. What's kinky about that for you?"

"It's a fucking power trip, honey. Those sluts do what I tell them, and this sucker - yes, Demetri, you suck fantastically - pays me through the roof."

"So you like that dominatrix stuff, huh Heidi?"

"I like fucking, Bella. I like controlling who and when and how I fuck. I like men. I like women. It's really not that complicated, honey. You can keep the cameras rolling if you need that, but let's get Edward up here and start the party." Yikes, I need Rose to show up _now_.

Rose has rigged up the cameras to record to the server in her office, which is behind a locked door accessible from their bedroom. I've got more than I need to incriminate Heidi, and I don't really care anymore about Lauren. I suspect she's a pawn to Heidi, but if what I've captured is accurate, then Lauren will get her comeuppance when PSE gets convicted of running a prostitution service.

"OK, wait here. Let me go fetch Edward." As I walk out of the room, Heidi and Demetri start going at it. I close the door behind me and run smack dab into Rose, who is ushering Lauren towards the room just as we've planned. I needed to get Heidi's confidence before Lauren showed up, though the goal was to also get Lauren to confess her involvement on tape. "Change of plans, Rose. Oh, hey Lauren. Odd seeing you here. I'm surprised you dared to show up knowing that _Carlisle Cullen's son_ was throwing the party."

"Fuck you, Bella. Where's Heidi?"

"In there, probably soiling Rose's guest bedroom as we speak. You should get your skanky ass out of here. I'm about to go get Edward. Heidi wants the five of us to get our freak on. That is _so _not happening. I'll just explain the situation to Edward, who no doubt will kick your asses to hell and back."

"Excuse me? What high horse did you ride in on. You're the one fucking the boss's son, Bella."

"I'm in love with and getting _married _to Edward, Lauren, and in case you haven't heard, I don't work at Seattle Adventures anymore. The only boss here is Heidi, who seems to own your ass and that of her entire department at PSE. That is some fucked up shit."

"Argh," Lauren shouts at me. We're standing about three feet apart and Lauren throws party nuts she's holding at me. In a truly great moment that I live in slow motion and will go down as one of my all-time favorites, I whip both wrists in front of my face and make contact with the nuts on my Wonder Woman metal wrist bands. The nuts drop to the floor, one flinging back and hitting Lauren in the eye. "Ow, shit, ow that stings," she screams.

Edward, meanwhile, has heard some commotion and is running up the stairs. He sees the whole thing, but rather than pausing to be angry or amazed, he swoops in and lifts me off my feet, carrying me bridal style away from Lauren, his cape flying behind him. It's heroic, and being in the arms of my Superman has never felt so good.

Later, I learn that Rose told Lauren to collect her things and leave. She got Emmett to confront Heidi and Demetri, who were going at it in the guest bed in a sixty-nine position. They told them to get the hell out of their house. Heidi was confused, but when guests who had nothing to do with their kink started coming up to investigate the noise, Heidi and Demetri quickly got dressed and exited the house.

Edward is furious when he hears about what Rose and I did, but as suspected it's out of concern for my safety. I'm proud of my actions, though, and with my dad's help, Rose and I get the evidence prepared for the police to investigate. My dad says listening to me act in that tape is disturbing, and that he sure as hell hopes I'm so convincing because I've taken acting classes since my middle school play. I tell him it's the magic of the Wonder Woman costume.

A couple of days later Rose and I make our statements to the police and deliver the videos, and we volunteer to help in the investigation against Heidi or PSE, if needed.

The police say it's very likely that PSE's business will be severely affected in the short term when news of the investigation gets out, and if that doesn't shut them down then a conviction for prostitution will, even if that process takes time. They're confident they have enough evidence to win a criminal case. It helps that I have Demetri's and Heidi's confession on tape, but the police also have convicted prostitutes waiting for sentencing behind bars who were involved in past tours and likely will be willing to testify in exchange for lesser sentences.

Demetri could be tried as a john, but they think he's involved with the Russian mafia and are trying to build up that case before proceeding with an arrest warrant. I tell them I don't want to be involved in Demetri's case. I have no connection to Demetri other than my experience on Halloween, and I don't want I get in the middle of a mafia evidence case. Edward squeezes my hand tightly when I tell the police that, nervously bouncing his knee.

"Bella, what were you thinking?" Edward whispers in a frustrated tone. We're home from the police station, in bed in his condo.

"Edward, can't you just be happy that I defended your honor, and that Rose and I are helping shut down a blight against the entire local tourism industry? Besides, if you'd heard what Heidi did around Rose, you would have wanted to participate, too."

"What do you mean?"

I explain how Em and Rose nearly didn't happen because of Heidi's interference. I also tell him that I'm no longer mad at Lauren. I think what she did was highly unethical, but all my previous anger has disappeared since learning about the seedy side of PSE.

He sighs deeply and hugs me to him. "I think we've taken our super hero status too far, Bella. Its time to retire our capes. I just want you to be safe. I'm so scared of losing you, sweetheart."

"Edward, you're not going to lose me. You're stuck with me for the rest of my life."

"The rest of _my_ life, Bella. You're it for me. I'd be devastated if something happened to you. Besides, the future of our unborn child depends on you."

"Do you know something I don't?" I smirk at him.

"No, but I think we should practice. In fact, I think you should stop taking the pill. You're nearly 28. I only have a couple of years to knock you up - that's the timeline you gave me, right? What if it takes a while? And if it doesn't, well that's fine with me, too."

Edward says all this while kissing down my body, using his mouth and hands to get me worked up. We do end up practicing that night. Despite his earlier comment about us retiring our super hero status, Edward accomplishes his usual sexual heroics.

* * *

**A/N -** Wow, longest chapter yet and I hope that wasn't too confusing. Please tell me what you think.


	100. Chapter 100

I notice Edward has my new habit of twirling his wedding ring around and around his finger. We can't seem to stop touching each other. My arm is currently looped through Edward's and our feet are playing footsie as we stretch out in our reclining seats. Periodically, one or both of us break out in a big grin. Being married is surreal.

We partied last night until 1:00 am. At midnight, once we'd thoroughly welcomed in the New Year with a kiss, Edward and I had a private toast to leading an adventurous life. I couldn't promise to give up trying to make things right, but I committed to doing that _with_ Edward. Rose and I have been involved in the investigation and case against PSE. The police were correct that news of the investigation has hindered PSE's ability to earn new business, resulting in Edward becoming extremely busy from winning almost every competitive bid Seattle Adventures participates in. Both Boeing and Starbucks ran bids to consolidate their local tour purchasing into a single supplier, and Edward won the business. The work kicks off in January, which will take away a significant portion of PSE's business. Microsoft gave Edward a call last week. They asked him to consider honoring his original proposal, but Edward knows he has leverage now and doesn't need to grant them the deep discounts to win the business. And he's not in any rush. Edward refuses to grow the business too fast and compromise on Seattle Adventures' quality of service. He's carefully accommodating all the new tours and told Microsoft he'd need to work them into the schedule.

It's been so busy in the days leading up to our wedding that sheer adrenalin kept us going through our ceremony and celebration. After a send-off from our wedding guests at the Needle, we crashed at a suite in the Four Seasons for a few hours - without any wedding night sex! - then woke at 5:30 am to shower before our taxi ride to an early morning train.

I've finally learned that we're headed to the snow in Canada, and that Allie helped pack my bag and made sure to include my passport for the border crossing. As we glide north to Vancouver, BC, Edward tells me that we don't have any plans tonight other than to reach our destination. He says I can sleep against him, but I'm mesmerized by the view as the train passes beautiful scenery and, oddly, I'm not tired.

In Vancouver, we meet a limo outside the train depot that Edward arranged to transport us to the snow. I think I know where he's taking me, but I keep my thoughts to myself so I don't ruin his surprise. Edward uses the music console in the limo to play a CD of music he composed for me. We toast with champagne and eat chocolates and strawberries. My sleeplessness catches up to me, and I yawn loudly when he pulls my face in for a kiss.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. This is so sweet. I love my song, and the champagne and treats. Thank you, sweetheart."

"Shh, just rest Mrs. Cullen." He pulls me into him and we both fall asleep, getting startled awake by our driver when we arrive at the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside hotel an hour and a half later. I'm so tired that I barely take in my surroundings. Edward gets us checked into the hotel while I visit the restroom inside the lobby.

Our room is beautiful, but both Edward and I immediately strip naked and climb into bed exhausted, eager to finish the nap we started in the limo.

I wake at 6:00 pm, curled around Edward who is snoring softly. I kiss his chest and inch out of bed to use the bathroom, finding a fluffy bathrobe inside that I don before exploring the hotel suite. We have a full kitchen, dining area, living room with fireplace, and a deck with a view to the ski slopes. The refrigerator is stocked with items Edward must have pre-arranged. I grab an orange, banana, pear and a few grapes to prepare a fruit salad. Anything else seems too heavy even though we've only had light snacks today. When I finish cutting and slicing, I take my bowl of fruit and a large glass of water into the bedroom. Edward needs to wake up or our schedules will be messed up for another two days.

I place my items on the bedside table, then inch down the covers so he's laying bare. The bathrobe gets left on the floor when I crawl up from the foot of the bed, settling my legs between his as I kiss up his chest. "Hello Mr. Cullen. Time to get up, sweetheart," I croon near his lips. Edward smiles but keeps his eyes shut, wrapping me in his arms and pulling me tightly against him.

"I don't want to get up, Mrs Cullen," he whispers against my hair. "I'd like to stay here in bed with you. But I don't mind waking if this is the reception I get." Edward turns us so I'm underneath him, kissing my neck below my ear and then biting my lobe. He slides his hands over my arms and down to my hands, pulling them up above my head. Our groins are now aligned and Edward's erection presses against my wet lips. He slides his hips up and down, running his cock through my folds. "Mmm, I can't believe we haven't made love as husband and wife yet."

"Let's remedy that tragedy immediately," I say as I spread my legs wide and thrust my hips against his. Edward adjusts his position slightly and brings a hand down to slide his cock inside me. We thrust against each other slowly and gently. "I love how you feel inside me, Edward. Not just this, though this _is_ always incredible. I mean that you fill me up with your kindness, your care and attention for me, your love. Sometimes I can't stop grinning from my happiness of being with you, of being yours and you being mine. I love you so much, Edward."

Edward leans down to capture my lips in a passionate kiss. Our tongues tangle and hands grope and hips thrust until we're both on the edge of an orgasm. He pushes his fingers between us to rub my clit, the added stimulation I need to send me over the edge. Edward follows soon after, thrusting stronger and faster but more erratically until he stills, breathing hard.

"I love you so much, Mrs Cullen. Thank you for marrying me."

_Fini_

* * *

**A/N** - And that's all she wrote! One more chapter but it's more of an author's note and not an epilogue - I'll probably post it later today. For the most part, this story is predictable and I think you can all imagine what happens with Allie and Jasper, Rose and Em, and Bella and Edward. I hope you enjoyed this Adventure. This was a really interesting experience for me - the first story I've ever written, and I did it as a dare to myself. At some point I may pull this and fix it as there are loads of things I would do differently, including my embarrassing mistake that will be revealed in the next chapter. Thank you everyone who read and reviewed and provided constructive feedback and encouraging words! Please hit that review button one more time (or for the first time) and let me know what you think.


	101. A Q&A Interview by Angela Weber-Cheney

**THE** **PROMINENCE** **OF** **SEATTLE** **IN** **FANFICTION**

_A Q&A Interview by Angela Weber-Cheney, Special to the Seattle Times_

With the popularity of fanfiction, and Twilight fanfiction in particular, Washington State tourism is getting a boost from fans who want to experience the places they read about first hand. Recently, the Seattle Times freelance writer Angela Weber-Cheney sat down with fanfiction author Lurker123, whose story _Seattle_ _Adventures_ is set amidst a backdrop of our areas most treasured tourist sites.

_**Angela: Lurker, thanks for agreeing to talk with me. Your fic **_**Seattle Adventures**_** features descriptions of many locations. What was real and what was imagined?**_

Lurker: All the tour locations are real, and even some of the tour concepts are actual tours offered by Seattle companies. In fact, near the end of writing of this fic, I came across information about a tour titled "Waterfall and Wineries," but I didn't know that existed when I made up the concept for the story. The real tour is very similar to the one described in Seattle Adventures, though instead of Chateau Ste. Michelle they include a stop at Columbia Winery, which is across the road. It sounds like a fun trip - I'd like to take it.

_**Angela: You describe places in great detail. Are these real or imagined?**_

Lurker: As mentioned, the tours are based on real locations, and to the best of my ability the descriptions are meant to capture the actual location. Many places are imagined, but in the spirit of what I know exists in those places. Edward's condo, Bella's apartment, and the houses of Em and Rose, Carlisle and Esme, and Ben and Angela are all imagined, though there are similar buildings in each area where I've placed their homes. For example, West Seattle still has a few pre-war apartment buildings like Bella's. Allie's and Jasper's house is based on a house I once visited in West Seattle.

_**Angela: Do you live in West Seattle? How do you know these things?**_

Lurker: I lived in Seattle more than 15 years ago but the area of the city where I lived was not featured in this fic. I have never lived in the neighborhood of West Seattle, but I've visited there and have an active imagination. I also research.

_**Angela: How about Bella's and Edward's adventures?**_

Lurker: If you mean the locations they visited, those are mostly real. The bistro they eat at in Langley, for instance, really exists with a rooftop patio. Alderbrook is real, too (though the window bench described in a scene there is low, not high). Both their campsite at the Dungeness Recreation Area and their hotel room in Whistler are based on real sites. I did take liberties with the distance between places. For example, the drive to Alderbrook from the ferry terminal in Bremerton is not nearly as direct as my description implied.

_**Angela: Have you been to those places?**_

Lurker: Some, not all. I research.

_**Angela: What was your inspiration for their sexual adventures?**_

Lurker: I have absolutely no idea. I am not like the Bella and Edward in this fic, but it was fun to be in Bella's head and experience Edward.

_**Angela: Your story was very detailed at first, several chapters covering a moment or a day in the beginning and then rushing through weeks in the end. Why did you approach the pacing that way?**_

Lurker: The premise of the story is a romance that blooms fast and deep. Once that was established, the end just needed to wrap up the various plot lines. The most difficult sections were the chapters after Edward's proposal. It's far easier for me to detail moments than events that happen over days. I tend to be wordy, and have to edit out many superfluous phrases after I've penned something. I re-read multiple times before publishing, and once a chapter has gone live I still see things I want to cut or revise. I also think online fanfic is not like a book, though I know some readers prefer that. At times, I was several chapters ahead with my writing and then other times I posted soon after I'd finished. One of my readers pointed out that scenes were often broken up into several chapters. I don't know that I _always _did that consciously, but the feedback has made me think how I might have approached the pacing differently. I definitely did make some intentional decisions to break a scene, thinking of the breaks more as moments. Somtimes I used a new chapter to establish a shift in mood within a scene, or a time jump. It's possible that approach doesn't resonate as strongly with readers as combining those moments into a single chapter the way a book would. Definitely something for me to think about!

_**Angela: We never got to meet Rene. Why is that?**_

Lurker: I didn't start the story with that intention. She's a minor character in this fic. Maybe one day I'll do an outtake of Bella's and Edward's Thanksgiving trip to see Rene in Florida, but currently I'm not inspired to write it.

_**Angela: Speaking of outtakes, you mentioned an idea for one. Did anyone guess the error you referenced and have you written the outtake yet?**_

Lurker: No one guessed it, which I suppose is a good thing because it means the error is only glaringly obvious to me.

_**Angela: So, we want to know - what was the error?**_

Lurker: Bella and Edward celebrate their four-week anniversary on their fifth week. The lesson I learned as a writer is to chart story progression on a calendar. I wrote my fic on a netbook with very limited software installed. Even my word processing software doesn't have a spell checker included, and I could only have one window open at a time. As a result, I didn't toggle between research files. So my other lesson is to upgrade my software!

_**Angela: What was your favorite chapter, and any funny moments during the writing of your fic?**_

Lurker: I definitely have some least favorite chapters, but it's hard to pick one that rises above others as my favorite. Perhaps I'd choose the scene of Edward talking on his cell phone to Carlisle while Bella's sorting laundry. I wrote that just for fun in about 15 minutes on a holiday weekend, and didn't change more than a few typos before posting it. I was proud of myself for coming up with a pretty funny ending too. I strive for humor, but it's a very difficult thing to get right. That time I think I succeeded. In terms of funny moments writing the fic, nothing stands out but there was a creepy moment. When I posted chapter 98 about Heidi's involvement with Em and Rose, the story's word count was 106,666. Those familiar with Armageddon stories will recognize that 666 is the symbol for the antichrist. On the one hand it was freaky and I was tempted to revise the chapter just to change the word count, but then it also seemed appropriate since Heidi was so evil.

_**Angela: Any plans to write another fic?**_

Lurker: Not at the moment, but then I didn't really plan to write this fic other than as a challenge to myself. It just started flowing, and unlike the process I know some writers take, I wasn't discriminate about my chapters. If I wrote it, I included it, in the order in which I wrote it. So I don't have a bunch of moments that didn't make it into the fic. I'm sure it's not the approach recommended in a writing seminar. I have no idea, though, as my educational and professional background have never centered on creative writing.

_**Angela: So no outtakes you can publish easily?**_

Lurker: Nothing already written. I haven't written the one outtake I promised yet. I plan to take a little break before I do. I have some scenes in my head for other outtakes but I'm not sure I'll write them. For instance, everyone seemed to jump to the conclusion that Jake cheated on Bella. My story isn't explicit about that, even if it's implied and is Bella's perception. I have a scene or two in my head covering Jake's experience in Brazil, but I've never been a huge fan of Jake and am not sure I want to get into his head.

_**Angela: Jake isn't the bad guy we assumed?**_

Lurker: Not necessarily. Heidi is definitely a villain, and Lauren is sleazy. But otherwise, my intent was to show a little complexity in the characters and not have them be so clearly bad or good. Even Lauren could have an outtake where she's seen to be more sympathetic than her scenes in _Seattle Adventures _make her out to be.

_**Angela: Are you surprised by the tourism appeal of Seattle that's fueled by stories like yours, as well as the original published works that inspire fanfiction?**_

Lurker: I'm sure my story is not the inspiration for people to visit Seattle, but I'm not surprised that the Twilight or Fifty Shades series have drawn tourists. The Pacific Northwest is an incredible destination. How can you not love a cosmopolitan city in the midst of mountains and salt water, where iconic spots like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market can be easily combined with trips to wineries set amid bucolic fields or to national parks with breathtaking vistas.

_**Angela: You sound like a tour guide. Do you have any professional experience?**_

Lurker: Sadly, no, and I've never worked in the tourism industry. I love being a tourist, though.

_**Angela: Thanks for talking with me.**_

Lurker: Thanks for reading my fic.


End file.
